Reading from 3 rotary encoders

What calls those functions? Snippets are not sufficient.

  old_1AB |= ( ENC_PORT & 0x03 );  //add current state
  old_2AB |= ( ENC_PORT & 0x03 );  //add current state
  old_3AB |= ( ENC_PORT & 0x03 );  //add current state

You are doing direct port manipulation, whether you realize it or not, to read some pin states. Notice that it is the SAME pins that you are reading in all three cases.