White Chicken - Behavior Questions

[Enchanted1s]

First situation. There are two white chickens that escaped from the torment of the neighbors chickens. They are staying in the vacant area on the other side of our property. Days turned into weeks that the neighbors did nothing to retrieve them. They would come onto our property when they thought we weren't looking. I started putting feed and water out for them. Then I decided - if I am feeding them, they should lay eggs for us! I built her a small nest box and the next day I had a nice big white egg! Every day for about a week - I left food & water - they left one egg. THEN she stopped! I was collecting them daily and leaving a wooden egg but she just stopped using it completely. They now know the schedule and expect the food & water, but no eggs. I have tried moving it - removing wooden egg - adding a 2nd wooden egg - moving it again; still NO EGG. I told her yesterday that if she didn't start giving me eggs I was going to take the food!

What should I do??

Second situation. Back to OUR chickens. Question first this time. Do other chickens tend to not like white chickens? We are in the process of rebuilding our tiny flock and bought 4 babies. One of which was supposed to be a Flowery 55 pullet. It ended up being an almost all white cockerel. From the very first time the older birds saw the babies, they ALL seemed to have a problem with the white one - very aggressive towards him, but not the other cockerel or the two black sexlinks. We did NOT want 2 roos so the 55 cockerel was traded for an almost all white, mixed breed pullet. The older birds are acting the same way with her! All of this had me wondering WHY? I have read some about how white chickens are targets for predators. I reasoned that the other chickens may not want a white chicken around because THEY know this too??

Thanks in Advance! Picture of our newest addition. So far we are calling her CutiePie II.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Are you sure it’s just not normal behavior?Best to Seperate her in a cage where everyone can see her.New birds are gonna get picked on.The cockerel probably got picked on because he was a rooster.My hens tend to treat males a lot worse until the males get older and braver.

 

[alexa009]

A chicken wouldn't understand that a white chicken would be the target of a predator. Chickens can have reasons for not laying all of a sudden also, such as stress, heat etc. Is the chicken in the picture the one that was laying the white eggs?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

As for the wild chickens,maybe they found a better nest,have you tried catching them?

 

[Enchanted1s]

A chicken wouldn't understand that a white chicken would be the target of a predator. Chickens can have reasons for not laying all of a sudden also, such as stress, heat etc. Is the chicken in the picture the one that was laying the white eggs?

No - two totally separate issues and birds. I don't really want the birds - I just figured since I am the one feeding them I should get the eggs.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Why isn’t you don’t want them?Wiuld be nice to have two extras.

 

[Enchanted1s]

As for the wild chickens,maybe they found a better nest,have you tried catching them?

I don't really want the birds - I just figured since I am the one feeding them I should get the eggs. I guess they were fine before I started giving them food... I feel sorry for them. The neighbors don't seem to care.

I don't know if it is normal behavior or not. The older ones don't care about the Crested Cream Legbar Cockerel. The babies are separated from the older ones unless under close supervision.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Why isn’t you don’t want them?Wiuld be nice to have two extras.

No - don't want two more to try to integrate into our newly forming flock. I accepted FOUR birds from the neighbors already - no more. I am trying to improve my flock with something other than barnyard mixes! Those poor birds (the neighbors) see how our birds are treated and find a way to come to our side of the fence.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

She's super cute! I haven't noticed that mine specifically pick on the white ones, but we have two. They do segregate by color when they roost though. If I had to guess I would say it's more of a size issue than a color issue. Is she smaller than the other chicks?

 

[Enchanted1s]

She's super cute! I haven't noticed that mine specifically pick on the white ones, but we have two. They do segregate by color when they roost though. If I had to guess I would say it's more of a size issue than a color issue. Is she smaller than the other chicks?

She is, but she is the same size as the other three that they have no problems with. I just wondered if it was a thing since it happened with two different white babies. I'm sure they will work it out.