1 breed or multiple ?

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.

 

Definetly go with different breeds!! Looking at all the same kind all the time gets boring!!

Missi

 

I have columbian rock, silkies, fayoumis, welsummers, americauna's, australorp.... more to come!

 

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.