Are Black chickens safer free ranging ?

[Beer can]

Predators be they a hawk or a fox etc, have extremely good eyesight I don't think the color of the chicken matters, think it's a myth.
I've heard more than one person say they have mix flocks of colors, the white birds are seldom if ever taken by hawks. Hawks seem to target the chickens that look more like their natural prey.

 

[PatchtoTable]

Agree with iluvsedward - dark chickens blend in more than white so would be less chance of being spotted. But certainly not fail safe.

My advice for increasing a chickens natural defence from predators:

• darker colours help chickens blend into their environment compared to white colours which stand out
• Generally Heritage breeds are know for being more alert and good flyers
• provide trees and shrubs as natural cover rather than open grass area.

I recently wrote a post about this (it goes into a lot more detail):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/primal-chickens-%E2%80%93-6-chicken-keeping-secrets-from-the-evolution-of-chickens.73654/

- hope it helps

 

[PatchtoTable]

Predators be they a hawk or a fox etc, have extremely good eyesight I don't think the color of the chicken matters, think it's a myth.
I've heard more than one person say they have mix flocks of colors, the white birds are seldom if ever taken by hawks. Hawks seem to target the chickens that look more like their natural prey.

Its an interesting point. My take is that jungle fowl evolved to blend into their natural environment in the forest - which provides some protection but of course would not be fail safe. A dark domesticated chicken on an open grass paddock will get little (if any) benefit from its colour in that environment. But a darker chicken in an environment with lots of trees and bushes would blend in better - but like the jungle fowl this would not be fail safe. As Beer Can says - hawks have very good eye sight. And I doubt there are hawks in the south east asian jungle. Edit: There are rainforest eagles http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/rain-forest-eagles which I guess is similar

 

[Alaskan]

up here the raptors like my white chickens.... but have also eaten my well camouflaged cuckoo colored chickens.

 

[iluvsedward]

In a flock of mixed colors they might go for the more natural colors, but perhaps the white ones caught their eye to notice the flock anyway. is this theory true though? Wouldn't a hawk be used to eating other birds, that come in a wide variety of colors? I come from an area with wild white birds as well as hawks, such as seagulls and herons. A large flock of any is impossible not to notice, especially in a field setting like Patch stated. but i think a small quiet flock may have a better chance with lots of cover to run to and with no white birds.

My point is simply from way way way up high, a white bird (assume both are not moving) is easier to spot than a more camouflaged one.

 

[kwhites634]

I thought I would throw this out there because I can't find the answer.

Here in N.E. we have Big Crows and Crows HATE Hawks. If Crows are around the hawks don't play, they go elsewhere so they are not bothered. I have noticed that here that is Crows have been around that morning there are no Hawks around that day at all.

So I wondered if you had Black Chickens if the hawks would think they were Crows and not bother.

i am NOT talking about little Silkies, but bigger like Australorps, Black Jersey Giants etc...

I did read somewhere that jungle fowl coloring didn't really help because predators are looking for that type of color.
We don't have Green chickens so .......

According to my Black Copper Marans rooster & one of his black daughters, no.

 

[tigger19687]

According to my Black Copper Marans rooster & one of his black daughters, no.

Not sure at which part this is referring to ?

The redtail hawks around here eat a main diet of Rodents, voles, rabbits and things like that. most of these are Brown in color.
So wouldn't one think that a moving Brown thing would be the 1st thing that would catch the eye to them ?

 

[iluvsedward]

Its true... either way anything is going to catch their eye in the end.

 

[keesmom]

It's the behavior that keys a hawk onto its prey. I've seen Blue Jays and Mockingbirds send a hawk spiraling for cover.

I once saw a hummingbird chase off a redtailed hawk. The neighbors had 2 nectar feeders and this individual, named Julius Caesar, decided both belonged to him. He'd perch on the power lines in front of their house and chase off any other hummingbird. One day I was walking by and a redtailed hawk landed in the tree next to the house. Next thing I see the hawk flying off with that little midget in hot pursuit, bouncing off the hawk's head. So yeah, attitude plays a big part.

The redtail hawks around here eat a main diet of Rodents, voles, rabbits and things like that. most of these are Brown in color.
So wouldn't one think that a moving Brown thing would be the 1st thing that would catch the eye to them ?

I think the movement is the key, not the color. I don't have much of a problem with redtailed hawks. There's too much cover. Unfortunately that same cover aids and abets the local Cooper's hawks. I have noticed that if a hawk makes an attempt at a target (chicken or local small wild bird) and misses, it will perch somewhere and wait for another target to move. As long as the chickens remain still, even if they are in the open, the hawk does not seem to notice them. It just notices me when I shoo it on it's way.

 

[Mrs. K]

I tried this theory too, I have serious predators. Truth, everything likes chickens and they know that.