I have a lovely flock of 6. One rir, one Long Island red, two speckled Sussex, two barred rocks. They get along well and have very little drama. They're so sweet to each other I have trouble figuring out the pecking order but I think my rir is lead hen. I'd like to add to the flock in the spring but I don't want to mess up the nice Dynamic we have now. What breeds would you recommend to go along with my sweet flock?
Well, doesn't really matter, for the most part, what breed you add. You will see the less sweet side of your docile flock when you introduce any 'new' birds. It all about territory. They will defend their resources(space, feed, water)with 'gusto' and likely far from docile behaviors. There are lots of ways to integrate new birds into your flock, I found last year that the younger the new birds are the better when I put the 1 week old chicks in the coop(behind a wire barrier), and let them mingle with the flock (thru tiny doors in barrier) at 4 weeks. No matter the integrations technique you choose, lots of space and multiple feed/water stations will make things go smoother. Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration This is good place to start reading, tho some info is outdated IMO: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock
Integration is one issue, and breed temperament tendencies also can matter. For example, Salmon Favorelles tend to be very gentle and mild, and will get harassed by your RIRs and most production reds and sex-link hens. For egg color variety, Easter Eggers, Welsummers, and French Marans would be wonderful. Wyandottes come in many beautiful colors and are very nice too. Then it depends on your climate; Chanteclers in the north, single combed white egglayers in the south. Look at Henderson's chart for more ideas (further confusion too!) Mary
