The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: liz999 on August 04, 2009, 02:38:25 pm

Title: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: liz999 on August 04, 2009, 02:38:25 pm

Hi   I rescued 2 white broiler hens from a hatchery , lucky and luckier!! they where day old, now doing well at 7 weeks, but I have tried to introduce them into my flock of brown hens and they hate them! will they ever get on or do my chickens have issues lol

Title: Re: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: Roxy on August 04, 2009, 03:00:48 pm

I have got mainly brown hens, being from ex battery rescues, but do have a couple of white ones and two black ones, and the banties are grey and also white.  They all seem fine with each other.  But if the silkies get out among the free range flock, the other hens do not like them at all.

Title: Re: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: doganjo on August 04, 2009, 04:53:43 pm

I suspect it's the age of the white chicks thats the problem.  They are being given their place in the pecking order by the older ones.  If it's possible I'd make them safe in an are where they can be close to the others but safe from them till they all get used to each other and the chicks are a bit older/bigger

Title: Re: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: Bodger on August 04, 2009, 05:16:55 pm

Spot on Doganjo (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Happy/happy-thumb-up-045.gif)

Title: Re: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: ballingall on August 04, 2009, 10:43:16 pm

I'd agree, but bear in mind I have seen goats be racist about colour. We used to only have British toggenburg's and Anglo nubians, and all were darker colours. Then one year, we only had one anglo nubian kid. Mum was convinced her british toggenburg was going to have males, so in april she bought a white kid which was out of her male. The adults absolutely hated her, they used to try and beat her senseless. The nubian kid was the reverse, she was so glad to see another kid she fell in love at first sight. She would even run to put herself inbetween the white kid and any adult who was trying to hit her- even if it meant she got hit herself. Typicially, the british toggenburg then went and had twin females, so we had kids after all. All of ours are fine now, but we have a totally mixed herd, with nubians, brown, black and white ones. I know other people have had similar problems.

Beth

Title: Re: mixing brown and white hens
Post by: doganjo on August 04, 2009, 11:00:26 pm

Yes, colour can be a problem in dogs too!  I had a black tricolour dog that was attacked by two white and orange(brown) dogs when he was 7 months old.  He was happy in the company of any other colour of dog but he would go ballistic if we came near any orange and whites - unfortunately the most common colour in my breed! ;D ;D ;D