Mixing Breeds in the Flock

[EMKodash]

I have a mixed flock and I love it. Each one has her own look and personality, and they get along great. I have a Buff Orpington, a Cochin, and a Barred Rock.

 

[Angie16hearts]

A mixed flock works fine, especially if they're all chicks together.   In my flock of 9 there are only two that are the same breed (Cinnamon Queen), and then there's one of each of an Easter Egger, Olive Egger, Minorca, Production White (Trader Joe's hatch), BLRW/Brahma cross, Ameraucana/RIR cross, and a Welsummer.  What's fun is I can tell who laid what egg, which then gets recorded so I know what the production levels are.

If you're getting a mixed age flock, please read the forums on integrating birds to keep the drama and trauma to a minimum in your coop.

Above all....  Enjoy!

I had the best weksummer ever! Unfortunately my neighbors pitbull hop the fence and took out four of them in a matter of eight minutes . Was sad! My kids found her. She had made it to my garden a area they all know to stay out of. I have her daughter though. No hen will ever replace her!

 

[chicken4prez]

We have… Wow so many breeds! We in total 30 chickens they all go great together. Welcome to BYC from Canada. Have a great flock!

-@chicken4prez

 

[mcbrown7513]

My mixed flock tends to get along well. My RIR rooster really bullied my Lavender Orpington rooster though. The Lavender Orpington rooster is by far the friendliest of all my chickens. I protect him, therefore we bonded. The hens get by just fine. 2 Rhode Island Reds (hens), 2 RIR pullets, 1 Cuckoo Marans hen, 9 Cinnamon Queen hens.

 

[Chickencame1st]

I have about 10 different breeds together. The ONLY unsociable breed that consistently is bossy, pecking or seems to need to put a new addition in her place is any of my red or black sexlinks. They are laying machines but are not good fellow coop mates.

 

[kcw0525]

We have a mixed flock, as well as two flocks in the same chicken yard. My mixed flock contains about half males and half females of Cochins, Light Brahmas, Speckled Sussex, Blue Andalusians, Buckeyes, and one Easter Egger. 21 in total. We plan on culling the majority of the male and maybe some of the female once they reach the right age. Our Blue And. rooster has become the top of the pecking order, and unfortunately developed a little earlier than the rest of them, by about a month. But he is our protector. We have a friend renting on our property and she previously had chickens and a turkey before moving to our property, so we just joined hers in. Our chickens, at the time, were still too young and weren't free-ranging, so hers got to enjoy the wide open land on their own for about a month and a half. When we introduced ours (i.e. let them out of the coop), hers did attack ours quiet frequently, but they eventually figured it out. No one was seriously harmed. Now they roam together, but still go into their own coops at night. She has one rooster (a RIR), and him and our Blue And. are always in crowing battles, claiming parts of the yard. They have also been pretty feisty lately with their mating, which her rooster just figured out (at 9 months old), and our Blue And. quickly followed, mating constantly with her hens (he likes cougars

). None the less, I love our mixed flocks. It adds beauty to our yard. I highly doubt we will ever do a one-breed flock. However, I do believe we will never get Speckled Sussex again. I don't know if it's just because they are young still, but they seem to gorge themselves.

 

[leslihilton]

They will all do fine together, especially if you get them all as chicks and raise together. If planning on getting a roo, make sure only one with that few hens.

 

[BevLand]

I have 4, 2 Barred Rocks, 1 Ameraucana, and 1 Black Cochran. They are great together. Coco, the Cochran is the Queen, Thelma and Louise the Barred Rocks are the middle two and Pretty my beautiful Ameraucana is at the bottom of the pecking order. But they are not mean to each other, they get along pretty well. I love the different colors of eggs.

(Also, I got these all as 1 to 1 1/2 year olds, from 3 different flocks)

 

[Mezza72]

I am fairly new to owning chickens too, I had done a lot of research on mixed breeds and now have in the pen (I got them at a week old) - 2 silkies (Coco and Chanel), Australop (Gertrude) and a leghorn (Daisy). They all seem to get along well.
In the brooder box I have 3 week olds - 2 aracanas, 1 buff Sussex and 1 Australop.
I'm in Australia though so I don't know what are available where you are.
We've handle the girls regularly and now Coco loves to snuggle in my jacket on my lap and Chanel I happy to chil out on my lap as well.
Love my flock!

 

[ninjawesome]

I have one Self Blue D'Uclle, one Delaware, one EE, one RIR, a Gold-Laced, and a Silver-Laced Wyandotte. All are getting along pretty well.