My chickens might be racist!

[Henpecked Dad]

In-group preference isn't racism or racist...it's a natural behavior.

What I would do to break the ice is go to the grocery store pick up a watermelon and some cabbage mix it up and take it from there.

Got the watermelon today!

 

[Henpecked Dad]

Welcome to BYC.

Chickens hate change and they usually take a while to flock together with newbies no matter how carefully the integration is done.

Especially if the new birds are a different age group from the existing birds since layers don't hang out with the pullets even when the pullets are raised in the flock.

Having pullets starting to lay right now, I'm seeing the girls who have started laying moving into the group with the layers and leaving their hatchmates behind.

If the newbies aren't being beaten up or driven away from food and water then just give them time and the flock will get together eventually.

I just can't stop.

Don't stop!

 

[Henpecked Dad]

This is simply part of introducing new birds into a flock -- it has nothing to do with the color of the new birds in question, and is a natural reaction to the sudden introduction of outsiders into the flock. It would occur no matter what the new birds look like.

As has been mentioned, a period of look-don't-touch will help get your flock used to the presence of the new birds. Then they can be allowed to properly interact with one another and will eventually get themselves sorted.
Some fighting might break out here and there, but bear in mind that introducing new birds causes a lot of stress for all birds involved and shuffles the entire pecking order around to accommodate the new birds. Everybody needs to find a new spot in the flock.

I kinda did something similar. I let others out to free range and leave different ones in with the black ones everyday.

 

[21hens-incharge]

They are all reacting normally.

New chickens are intruders to the established group. As stated previously different ages don't tend to mix together. Food/roost guarding is normal too.

The "see no touch" set up allows them to get used to each other in a safe way before they can actually peck the daylights out of the new ones.

The suggestion of watermelon and cabbage is valid. They are both inexpensive large items that are enjoyed by 99% of pretty much every flock. They can be cut up and spread/spaced over a wide area preventing any one hen from being able to guard everything at once.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I find my chickens tend to hang out with chickens who have similar colors, regardless of breed. I had one French Blue copper Marans who hung out with two Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, two splash Wyandottes, who wanted nothing to do with the BLRW. I had French Black Copper Marans who hung out with Black Austerlitz. I am not sure what it is all about, however that has been my experience. (for what ever it's worth)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like, “birds of a feather flock together?”

They absolutely do. Ducks flock with ducks. Seagulls flock with seagulls. I see it all the time.

I find my chickens tend to hang out with chickens who have similar colors, regardless of breed. I had one French Blue copper Marans who hung out with two Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, two splash Wyandottes, who wanted nothing to do with the BLRW. I had French Black Copper Marans who hung out with Black Austerlitz. I am not sure what it is all about, however that has been my experience. (for what ever it's worth)

I've seen some of that too. I'm not sure if it has to do with color or more with individual personalities. Cliques can form in any flock, especially in a larger flock with more birds. I've seen some cliques be the same color/pattern but I've also seen some form with different colors/patterns. If they are raised together they tend to remain a clique regardless of mixed color/patterns, but not always. One time I had a broody hen that hatched red chicks. When I tried to give her incubator chicks she accepted the red ones but not the black so she could see color. But earlier that year she had hatched out a brood of red and black chicks and raised them all. Chicken social behavior is pretty complex, I certainly don't pretend to understand all of why they do things they do.

My mixed flock was 6 of many colors..2 red, 2 multicolor, 1 black & white, 1 gold and black, and all seemed to get along. But then I added 2 black Australorps and they immediately shunned them.. pushing them away from food & water; refusing to let them roost on any perch; attacking them when they struggled to get a morsel of scraps I tossed..

How can I encourage a little integration in my flock!!??

How old are those Australorps and the other chickens? This sounds like standard behaviors when you try to add immature chicks to a flock of more mature chickens. Until they reach a certain stage of maturity the more mature outrank the immature in the pecking order and are often not shy about enforcing those pecking order rights. That means they might peck the youngsters if they invade the older ones' personal space. It usually doesn't take long for the juveniles to learn to avoid the more mature. Hopefully they have enough room to do that. The older are not going to share treats with their inferiors. Them trying to roost with the older is certainly an invasion of personal space.

I'm just guessing that it is a maturity thing. That's why I'd like to know how old they all are. And do you know the sex of all of them? If the BA's are boys that might explain some of it. How much room do you have, in the coop and outside? How much room they have has a big effect on behaviors.

My goal when integrating is that no one gets hurt. That's it. All that buddy buddy one-flock behavior can and will come later. With mine that's usually about the time the pullets start laying. Until then it's like I have two different flocks, the young keep out of the way of the older but everything is peaceful.

There are some exceptions to this. Sometimes you get a hen that is a psychopathic brute toward younger chickens. Sometimes you get a lot more intermingling than I've said, especially if they are broody-hen raised with the flock. The more room you have the better.

Many of us integrate younger chicks all the time, usually successfully. There are a few tricks that we use to improve our odds of success. Housing them where they can see each other but can't get to each other (see but don't touch) can be really helpful. Having widely separate feeding and watering stations gets them all fed and watered and reduces the potential for conflict. The more room they have the better. You can improve the quality of what room you have by adding clutter. That means things they can hide under or behind or get up high where the others can't as easily get to them. The more we know about what you have to work with the more likely we can offer specific suggestions that fit your situation.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

They absolutely do. Ducks flock with ducks. Seagulls flock with seagulls. I see it all the time.


I've seen some of that too. I'm not sure if it has to do with color or more with individual personalities. Cliques can form in any flock, especially in a larger flock with more birds. I've seen some cliques be the same color/pattern but I've also seen some form with different colors/patterns. If they are raised together they tend to remain a clique regardless of mixed color/patterns, but not always. One time I had a broody hen that hatched red chicks. When I tried to give her incubator chicks she accepted the red ones but not the black so she could see color. But earlier that year she had hatched out a brood of red and black chicks and raised them all. Chicken social behavior is pretty complex, I certainly don't pretend to understand all of why they do things they do.


How old are those Australorps and the other chickens? This sounds like standard behaviors when you try to add immature chicks to a flock of more mature chickens. Until they reach a certain stage of maturity the more mature outrank the immature in the pecking order and are often not shy about enforcing those pecking order rights. That means they might peck the youngsters if they invade the older ones' personal space. It usually doesn't take long for the juveniles to learn to avoid the more mature. Hopefully they have enough room to do that. The older are not going to share treats with their inferiors. Them trying to roost with the older is certainly an invasion of personal space.

I'm just guessing that it is a maturity thing. That's why I'd like to know how old they all are. And do you know the sex of all of them? If the BA's are boys that might explain some of it. How much room do you have, in the coop and outside? How much room they have has a big effect on behaviors.

My goal when integrating is that no one gets hurt. That's it. All that buddy buddy one-flock behavior can and will come later. With mine that's usually about the time the pullets start laying. Until then it's like I have two different flocks, the young keep out of the way of the older but everything is peaceful.

There are some exceptions to this. Sometimes you get a hen that is a psychopathic brute toward younger chickens. Sometimes you get a lot more intermingling than I've said, especially if they are broody-hen raised with the flock. The more room you have the better.

Many of us integrate younger chicks all the time, usually successfully. There are a few tricks that we use to improve our odds of success. Housing them where they can see each other but can't get to each other (see but don't touch) can be really helpful. Having widely separate feeding and watering stations gets them all fed and watered and reduces the potential for conflict. The more room they have the better. You can improve the quality of what room you have by adding clutter. That means things they can hide under or behind or get up high where the others can't as easily get to them. The more we know about what you have to work with the more likely we can offer specific suggestions that fit your situation.

Is it normal for the hens to go after new birds if they are huddled in a corner looking away and terrified? I yesterday added 3 birds to a 6 bird flock (I did it as the sunset to try and prevent fighting) this morning the original 6 were being brutal to the new ones. They were huddled in a corner looking away. I moved them back to their original flock today.

 

[3KillerBs]

Is it normal for the hens to go after new birds if they are huddled in a corner looking away and terrified? I yesterday added 3 birds to a 6 bird flock (I did it as the sunset to try and prevent fighting) this morning the original 6 were being brutal to the new ones. They were huddled in a corner looking away. I moved them back to their original flock today.

Yes, that is, unfortunately, normal.

Did you have a see-don't-touch period for them?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/