Different Breed Behavior in Mixed Flock

[rfreedlund]

While I have experience with chickens in the past helping my parents with their small flocks of Rhode Island Reds (25 - 30 birds), this is my first time going it solo and the first thing that I wanted in my flock was a bit of variety. My current flock of 48 is listed in my signature below.

One thing I have been very intrigued by is what appears to be some of the unique behavior in the different breeds. For example, my Australorps are most likely to be found at any time in the run especially earlier in the day and afternoon, "just chilling" when many of the others are found in the coop. One of my two Barred Rocks is the only one that wants me to pick her up, though the rest of my flock has no problem being next to me as long as I don't try to reach for them. Two of my three Easter Eggers are definitely at the bottom of the pecking order (the two lighter feathered ones). And most interesting to me has been... my Leghorns and my Rhode Island Reds are always the last ones to go in the coop at night even after most of the rest have been in the coop on their roost for any where from a half-hour to hour. Obviously there are a few exceptions among those that I have, but these are some general things that I have noticed.

How much of this is the breed in general? Is any of it just "sticking with their own kind"? Though I don't know how much chickens raised together from chicks recognize their own breed. and How much is just coincidence?

I am interested in hearing some of my fellowr BYC members' experiences and observations when working with different breeds, both raised as a one breed flock and when they're all mixed together.

 

[chooks4life]

I've kept mongrels for years but also had various purebreds over the years too, and in my observation it's down to family traits more than breed. Even individuals in the same family show predispositions towards different directions in everything measurable from body type and color, to production qualities and hardiness, to social instincts, to feed efficiency and so forth.

Breed still has some influence, but, for example, if you have a hardy, foraging, good mothering breed known for flightiness, and someone rears numerous generations of a family line of that breed in small runs where they cannot free range, never lets hens brood their own eggs, tames them into pets, and maintains an overly clean and isolated environment so their immune systems are underdeveloped, within 7 generations they can ruin the traits you expected of that breed.

Generally the most reliable thing about breeds' influence is color and body type, everything else is 'judge it as you find it' in my experience. It all depends how the most recent breeders of the last half-dozen or so generations kept them.

Best wishes.