New hens defected to another flock

[Rainekitty]

So... I have have two small flocks. My original flock (rooster + 2 hens) and my newer second flock (rooster + 6 hens), mostly BCMs. A week ago I picked up two Ameraucana hens both for the lovely blue eggs and to replace hens from the original flock who have passed away. The introduction with the original flock went okay, some pecking but no blood or anything too aggressive. The new girls seemed unhappy and mostly stayed in the coop, but I figured that was normal. It had only been a week. Today was the first day I left the run open and let them free range with the rest of their new flock-mates. Three hours later, I couldn't find them. It turns out they were both in the run of the second flock (there is a small- like 2 square feet- area at the top of the 6 ft. high run that is currently not covered with chicken wire. They hung out with the second flock all day, even squatting for the rooster and went into the coop with them without a problem this evening.

So, I don't really have a question but I though it was a little weird and I was wondering if anyone else had this happen to them. They definitely had a preference. If it makes any difference, both the BCMs and the Ameraucana's came from the same local breeder, although they didn't "know" each other, as I got the BCMs as day-old chicks and the Ameraucana's as 1 year-old adults.

 

[Junglefowlboss]

I had this happen to me a while back when I had two roos. One chicken just preferred the other one over the other. It really depends on the chicken and the rooster because certain things in a roo will attract females more than others. Like a chicken likes a rooster that can alert for danger over one that just hides without warning the others. I had to remove the rooster because the two would fight way too much. But its all worked out now.

 

[Rainekitty]

Thanks. That's interesting and makes sense to me. The "original" rooster, a sebright mix, is actually very good with his hens and great at taking care of them, feeding them and watching for predators, but he's kind of jerk to new hens (pecks them like the other hens do- I'm not sure why he does other than maybe he grew up without another rooster as a role model?). He's done this during every introduction I've tried. He's also a bit human-aggressive, but since he was my original rooster, I have an affinity for him.

The second rooster, a BCM, is fine, takes care of the girls, maybe not quite as good as the bantam but he's only about a year old, and I feel like he's still learning. However he is sweet to hens and people alike and also all the hens in this flock are very laid back without much of a visible pecking order.

 

[Junglefowlboss]

It really does depend on how he was raised. But you should try to remove that human agression because you dont want chicks around him or they will be human agressive too. Give the new chickens some good space between the originals like put them in a cage next to the chicken coop so they can see eachother or put them in at night and the chickens will have less agression because they wake up with the new ones and think they have been there already. Which leads to them being less agressive.