just a quick question - do most of you have all the same breed of chicken in your flock, or do you have many different breeds? i'm still researching what to get (need good egg layers that don't fly very well that can stand cold temps). i'll be sarting with a small flock - maybe 10. the coop i'm building will be insulated pretty well (renovating part of the existing barn), but it still gets awful cold at delfargo farm in the winter. so... do the different breeds get along with other or should i pick one breed that fits my needs? thanx for the advice.
I have different breeds because I like a variety. I also live in an area with cold winters so I tried to pick breeds that are cold hardy. I have Easter Eggers, Red Sex Links, Silver Lace Wyandottes, and Barred Rocks.
I like a diverse flock, they have different qualities and personalities, AND it's easier tell the hens apart. They also bring different assets to the enterprise. For instance, my Cochins are very broody, wouldn't want a whole flock of these broodies, but it's nice to have a few to hatch some fertile eggs for me (they are sitting on some Maran eggs now). And a colorful basket of eggs is really cool (thus I'm adding the Marans). Check out the My Pet Chicken site - it has a good little tool to select breeds. And McMurray hatchery has some "reviews" of various breeds which are fun to read, will give you some ideas.
If a specific breed fits your needs, brahma, wyandotte, rock, etc., or just catches your fancy, you can keep several color varieties of said breed. This will give you a broad spectrum of color in the yard, while maintaining uniformaty in size, type, and to some degree personality and aggression.
Quote:I started with Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rock-----Hatched out my own eggs to get a blended breed, then blended in Easter Egger, Jersey Giant, and Australop. I have "mutts" and well on my way to to a local Landrace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landrace
I have a mixed pullet flock for eggs and then I have separate pens for the other ones I will be breeding later. You can keep them together until they are breeding age then separate them into different groups.
I currently have new hampshire reds and easter eggers. By Sunday I will also have: black austraplorps, columbian wyandottes, buff rocks, white orpingtons, turkens, blue laced red wyandottes and partridge rocks. I have blue orpington eggs, lavender orpington eggs and delaware eggs on the way to hatch also. I wanted to have a nice variety this year.
