Types of poultry flock

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Types of flocks
First let's go over our key terms. Here are the 4 main types of chicken flocks that I will be talking about in this article.

Mix of breeds flock
These flocks are made up of 2 or more different breeds. These flocks are great for chicken owners who like a multitude of different chicken breeds or if they want more than one thing from their flock (eg. Ornamental and Eggs).


Photo by @DobieLover


Same breed flock
This type of flock is where your whole flock is the same breed. These flocks are good if you want to breed and hatch pure-breed chickens from your flock.


Photo by @Apis mellifera


Multiple-generation flock
Multiple-generation flocks are where you stagger your chicken purchases/hatching and your flock is made up of chickens that are of different ages. These flocks are good if you enjoy the excitement of getting new chickens, and/or enjoy hatching with broody hens. I can't help buying MORE and MORE chickens! So these flocks might be for you if you have no self-control over your chicken purchases!!!!


Photo by me


Same age flock
The opposite of a multiple-generation flock. When you raise your whole flock from chicks together and don't get any more chickens until they are all (or almost all) gone. These flocks are good if you do not like integration and don't plan on hatching eggs.


Picture by @bellium

Can these flock types be combined? Of course they can!
Here are the possible combos:

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Mix of breeds vs same breed flocks
Here's a comparison between having more than one breed of chicken in your flock and focusing on a particular breed.

Mix of breeds flocks are great for having a diverse flock in terms of egg colour, temperament, appearance, purpose, etc. I raise a mixed breed flock because I love lots of different breeds and I want as many of them as I can. I also like to have a range of diverse, interesting chickens and different personalities. Many chicken keepers don't like the idea of having a flock of identical hens, so they would opt for a mix of breeds flock. However, some breeds can bully breeds that look different, and if you want to breed your chickens they will most likely not be pure breeds.

Same breed flocks are great if you want to commit yourself to one breed that you completely love. This way, you can understand their particular needs, eg. feathered feet need extra care, and breeds that lay lots of eggs need more calcium. If you want to breed and sell pure-breed chickens you should go for a same breed flock because you'll be sure that you are breeding pure breeds. If you only want one purpose from your flock (eg. meat, show, eggs etc) you only need one breed to satisfy yourself.

Here's a helpful Topic Of The Week thread about which breeds are best for certain things

Multiple generation vs same age flocks
Here's a comparison between staggering your flock and getting all your chickens at once.

Multiple generation flocks are great if you love the excitement of getting new chickens. If you plan on hatching with a broody hen one day, multiple-gen flocks are for you. They also allow you to 'save space' for an opportunity. For example, If TSC has a sale on chicks, or if you go to a show and they gift you some hatching eggs/hens. Or in my case, you accidentally win a bid on some eBay eggs! However, there are some cons. You have to do a lot of integrating, and it's more likely that you will have bullying in your flock.

Same age flocks are great If you don't want to do integration and don't plan to hatch if your hen goes broody. You can bond with your flock from the start and have a more close 'in-the-moment' connection with them. It's also good if you aren't as 'involved' with your chickens (like if you work a lot) as you don't need to worry as much about bullying (although it does still happen) and integration.

Here's a helpful Topic Of The Week thread about integration
How To Introduce New Chickens to an Existing Flock article by @BYC Project Manager

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Can I have a mixed flock of different types of poultry?

Yes! You can, but it sometimes takes a little extra work in terms of feeding and bullying, but many people have flocks of a mix of different poultry and it works. Be careful mixing large poultry (like turkeys) with smaller poultry like bantam chickens and ducks.

This helpful article by @The Chickeneer goes in depth about keeping different poultry types together


Picture by @KingB

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Thanks for reading! I hope you found this article helpful, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it so I can improve!

Click here to look at some flocks
Click here to share your flock!