Do chickens prefer their own breed?

[LuckyFarrell]

I'm converting a doghouse into a coop which will house three standard chickens, I was hoping to get three different breeds Barred Rock/Buff Orp/ RIR, but I wasn't sure if chickens prefer the company of their own kind.

 

[RubberChickenLubber]

I honestly don't think they know the difference between breeds. I think the 3 you are looking at should be fine together.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Best I can tell they dont know breeds, if you get these three and try to add others even of the same breed, the original 3 will stick together and the new ones will be outsiders for a while. My originals still stick together, Leghorns, Australops, Buckeyes.

 

[keljonma]

No two birds in our flock are the same breed. They all get along as well as any flock of chickens. We have one each - 14 hens and 1 roo:
Lakenvelder, Dominique, Rhode Island Red, Partridge Plymouth Rock, Columbian Wyandotte, Delaware, Jersey Black Giant, White Face Black Spanish, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Gold Penciled Hamburg, White Wyandotte, Buff Orpington, Golden Campine x Jersey Black Giant, Golden Campine x Partridge Plymouth Rock, and Golden Campine (roo)

 

[RubberChickenLubber]

Once I even had a japanese bantam, and they are tiny, who was raised with some standard chicks. She was one of the dominant hens...lol

 

[eponagirl]

I have BA's and GLW's and they all get along great as fellow chick mates. Sometimes I will see all the BA's on the roost hanging out while the GLW's eat or something like that, so they might separate themselves out occasionally...sort of like "birds of a feather flock together"...but they all get along and we have no issues.

 

[chickenchickenbulkbulk]

I have the same breeds you have in the same coop. They get along great. You'll be fine.

 

[LuckyFarrell]

Thanks everybody!

 

[noplacebo]

I was convinced my white sexlink roo was racist when he totally ditched my RIR pullets for three older white sexlink hens when they came to stay.

I think it has more to do with nurture than nature though. the three pullets of three breeds i have currently are very close and act as though they're all the same breed/genetic siblings, ignoring any colour/size difference.

-c

 

[Tweeza]

Quote:
I have thought this about mine from time to time. I have speckled sussex that hang together and austrolorps that do the same. Over an acre area they pair up like that. I don't notice my golden sexlinks doing it though. They don't seem to pair up at all. They all get along fine, no more picking on one than the other.