Do chickens know their breed?

[chickenpredatorkiller]

Yes, and if you listen closely as they get older, you will notice that they have different languages. Their sounds are different in each breed. (I don't know about similar breeds, but in the very different breeds this is noticeable.)

My Fayoumis say "Ankh- ankh"

My Buff Orps say "Uh Uh Uh Uh"

as an example.

anybody else try to sound out this out while reading it?

 

[annewandering]

anybody else try to sound out this out while reading it?

Of course! When I heard the ones trilling I kept trying to tell my husband what the sound was. Have you ever tried to trill? lol. I am no good at it!

 

[RobSherman]

Absolutely…. My chics are only 6 weeks old. They are Black/Lavender Split Ameraucanas. There is a black hen, and a black roo with the remainder being lavender. The two black chicks are very close… I am surprised.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Mine don't do this so much. They stay with the other chickens they were raised with. You can always tell who was raised together (or quarantined together

) because they stay in those little groups. Granted, most of mine are mutts, so I don't know if that counts.

 

[lmattke]

I've introduced two different batches of chicks this spring, and the ones that were in the brooder together are definitely buddies and stick together, even after 6 months. But we have a big mix of breeds, so I can't really test the birds of a feather flock together by breed or color theory.

Here are my Black Star and SLW at 8 weeks.

 

[CountryGeorge]

I have a really mixed flock and I see buddy mix ups all the time. My only rooster is an EE and he loves everyone!

 

[saracalderas]

Yes, yes I did. Lol

 

[plund]

There is something w/dogs called breed recognition, I see no reason it can't happen with chickens. They are pretty smart. I have all orpingtons, 4 buff & 4 much younger lavenders that have not been introduced yet, a chocolate bantam orp & a black bantam orp. My LF pair off into consistent pairs & my chocolate doesn't even like chickens, the black is fairly young & although she/he wants to be friends w/Fudge, she is having nothing to do with him.

 

[Bristolbird]

Mine stick together but I figured it had more to do with them being sisters in the same clutch of eggs. I have three pairs that tend to stick with their partners and one odd one who is the oldest but the lowest in the pecking order.

I wonder what would happen if I got a hen of the same breed as my odd one out - would they hang out together?

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have found myself pondering on this. I have a bearded silkie that for all the world thinks that my gold laced Wyandotte is here mum. I have also noticed that momma hen will defend her chicks to the death, until they reach a certain age and then she turns on them. Once momma has sent them packing, they seem to file into their respective breeds. I think it must be personality or traits within the breeds, because there are no mirrors in my coop.:

( after reading back over this, I think I spend too much time watching my chooks)!