Will mixed breeds of chickens get along?

[mommy of two]

I have 4 New Hampshire reds, 2 Rhode Island reds, 2 red sex links, 2 barred Plymouth Rocks (one is a roo), 2 Ameracauna, and one buff Orpington. Will I have problems with all those different breeds being together?

 

[donrae]

They'll be fine. Chickens really don't know breeds or colors. Many of us on this board have a similar mixed flock and everyone does well.

 

[mommy of two]

I hope so! I read in a book that since the buff Orpington are so docile they tend to be bullied! I don't want that to happen.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I hope so! I read in a book that since the buff Orpington are so docile they tend to be bullied!

I don't want that to happen.

I think that depends on the line of Orps. Mine were nasty little beasts, and didn't lay worth a darn, either. Murray McMurray's, I think. I haven't had Orps since. I personally believe that since the back yard chickens movement took off, everyone read about Buff Orps and wanted some, so the hatcheries geared up and pumped out the chicks. And I don't think they were very good quality or true to what a Buff Orp is supposed to be. Kind of like what happened to Dalmations after the 101 Dalmations movie.

We have lots of different colors of chickens, and don't have problems. I will say that chickens of the same color tend to stick together, though, regardless of breed. And I have had problems if just one hen is colored differently than the rest (like, one white hen in a colored flock) so I try to make sure there's always more than one of a color--but it could have been coincidental that she was a different color and maybe she was at the bottom of the pecking order for other reasons. Since I have scads of chickens and one more is never a problem, I haven't tried to test the hypothesis and instead just buy a minimum of three of any breed/color of chickens.

 

[schmism]

I think that depends on the line of Orps. Mine were nasty little beasts, and didn't lay worth a darn, either. Murray McMurray's, I think. I haven't had Orps since.

interesting. I love my buff orps. I think they are my most fav breed for egg laying, potential broody and friendliness. In our current flock our 2 most friendly chickens are buff orps. Course one or so layer groups before, the queen of the roost was a orp who was clearly top of the pecking order. (would run roo's off etc) so who knows


as to the OP. we have run a mix flock and prefer it for egg laying. Customers like the mix of eggs. We specifically have white and brown egg layers as well as EE's. They certianly develop a pecking order, but any flock does that. I like the ability to pick out individual chickens from the group without dealing with leg bands.

 

[mommy of two]

Well I don't know how my orp will behave yet, it's only 2 days old, but I do know she ran up to the other chicks an gave them a little peck! Well thanks for all the info! Maybe chickens are like people they all might have different personalities no mater what the breed, I don't know. We'll have to wait and see till they get a little older.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If they are chicks only a few days old it won't be any problem at all to combine them. If there is a week or more of age difference (and thus size/mass difference) you'll want to watch them carefully for a few days to be sure the big kids aren't bullying the little kids.

As adults things are more complicated. But with the breeds/varieties you name it should not be a problem to combine them providing they've got some space to get away from each other. There will be some inevitable squabbling and fussing as the pecking order sorts itself out but it should settle down after a couple of days. Just make sure there is not a big size difference between them. If there is then be sure to give the smaller birds a place to get away from the larger ones.

 

[mommy of two]

Yeah we have 10 other chickens (one roo included) and they are about 2 months old so we aren't going to put the chicks in with them yet but the 3 new chicks we got are in the brooder with a heating lamp and I'm not sure how long they will have to stay in there until we can introduce them to the rest of the flock.

 

[AceOfSpadesJJ]

not at all i have 2 pekins, 1 maran, 1 light sussex,1 silver wyandotte (cockal), 2 leghorns and 4 different hybirds a big mixture they all get on fine!!!