Introducing new chickens - are they colour prejudiced?

[elmdene]

I'm just looking at getting two more girls for my little flock of pekins which will take it back to a grand total of 4! I currently have a cockerel and a hen, both cuckoo, but would like to get a different colour this time. The hens I have found available locally are either partridge or blue, from different sources. I am now thinking that one of each might be nice but would it be better to get 2 of the same so they are the same colour (can chickens tell the difference?) and also so they already know each other, coming from the same place, and so have a bit of moral support? If I were to get 2 different colours, from different places, could I introduce them to my existing chickens at the same time, or should I wait a few weeks inbetween? Much as I love them looking decorative in the garden, I would much rather they all got on well so would appreciate any advice on this.
Also what are the implications if they have chicks - would they be a mixture of colours or would one colour gene be dominant? We used to have black as well as cuckoo and the chicks always turned out either one or the other, except for one gorgeous little black cockerel who had white roots! I'm not interested in breeding by the way, but it may be easier to rehome new chickens if they are a specific colour.

 

[chrismahon]

I can say for certain that chickens are colour prejudiced Elmdene. Some are far worse than others. We've seen lots of bullying of different coloured individuals. You will see like birds (same breed and colour) 'buddy up'-pair up and stay together all the time.

 

[Marigold]

A year or so ago I introduced two white POL hybrids to my previous 3, who were all darker colours. Yes I think it did startle the old birds, especially one who got so enraged at the sight of the pullets that I had to rehome her lest she killed them, but this was unusual I think. I think they do react to a wide colour difference if they've been brought up in a flock of birds all one colour, but maybe less so if they've ever seen the new colour before from being in a mixed flock.
You would in any case need to separate the new ones, first for quarantine and then, after a couple of weeks, divide your run so they can see each other until they seem to be settling down. Then, if possible, let them out to free range together (the newbies first so they get an idea of where to go) and later on, try the old trick of introducing them at night to the main coop. Mine settled OK in the end, but the new pair were always together as a couple of friends.

 

[dinosaw]

They are definitely racist and they prefer to hang around with birds of their own colour even if they have been hatched and reared together, my current young birds tend to separate off into the pair of brown birds and the four white when scratching etc though they all do rub along alright together. I think you would be far better getting two birds from the same place and introducing them together, introducing them one at a time would be a very very bad idea.

 

[elmdene]

Thanks for all the advice! Now I think about it - the late Sybil, who was black, was always a bit on her own. I'm going to see the blue ones tomorrow - maybe they will be close enough in colour to the cuckoo ones so they don't notice, but if not, perhaps I should wait for some more cuckoos to turn up.

 

[elmdene]

On the other hand, there seem to be lots of posts from people who have completely mixed breed flocks, not just different colours - how does that work?

 

[Marigold]

There's not really a big long-term problem, just keep them apart to start with as you would anyway, and observe how the older birds react before you let them get together.

 

[dinosaw]

I have always had mixed breed flocks elmdene and like I said they have always rubbed along alright together they just tend to prefer the company of their own breed/colour given a choice, the same behaviour as people really. Given some of them have very different sounding voices who knows if they speak with different dialects?, as a geordie living in the south of England while most people are fine with me I can tell you I get any amount of grief from people who don't like my accent and don't like 'northerners' I shouldn't suppose chickens are any different. Getting back to the point though the important thing is to get your birds from the same place whatever colour they may be so that they know each other and introduce them together. You'll be saving yourself a load of hassle as they will already have established who is boss and will pair up and be friends which will help them when the incumbent pekin attacks them, I introduced a single pekin into a rooster/ hen pair about two years ago and will never be doing that again thank you. My advice would be get the blues, they are lovely to look at, just lost one to a fox . Partridge boys are stunning but I think the girls are a bit plain, just my opinion mind you.