Advice on chicken breed compatibility.

[MrIC]

We're looking to start with chickens for eggs next spring. We prefer breeds that will be friendly with us and let us hold them. We really like the idea of multiple egg colors and I've done some preliminary searching and have come up with a list of various colors (multiple breeds lay brown, but that's ok) that appear from what I've seen to be friendly.

1. Olive Egger
2. Black Copper Marans
3. Pearl Legbar
4. Welsummer
5. Barnevelder
6. Lavender Orpington
7. Golden Laced Wyandotte
8. Blue Laced Red Wyandotte

My concern is if any of the breeds would be likely to be aggressive to others on the list or are otherwise a bad idea with any of them. I ran a quick search , and it came back that the Wyandottes were likely to be aggressive with timid hens. The thing is, I've been in love with Blue-Laced Reds since I first saw them online and they've been at the top of my list for years. If they're an issue with one or two breeds, maybe I'll change out those breeds, but if they're a problem for all breeds, then I may have to rethink having Wyandottes. So are they an issue? If so, is it a space-related issue (we have more than enough coop and run space)?

Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

Just a quick note, friendliness is up to the individual bird and has no bearing on breed.
Being picked up and held is uncomfortable for a hens physique, it puts pressure on their respiratory system and drives feathers into the skin.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Unfortunately a lot of it is up to the individual, there are bullies and wilting flowers in every breed.

None of the breeds listed are overly susceptible to being so timid that I would expect problems. The wyandottes might be bullies, or they might not. I will say my blue laced red wyandotte is the bottom of my pecking order, even when we added a single pullet and the rest of the flock hadn't accepted her yet. She's not bullied by any means, but she gets along with everyone. The silver laced wyandotte I got in my first batch of chicks was not what I would call nice, but I don't think she was really a bully.

Eta: most "problem" behaviors with the pecking order do come down to not enough space. Not saying you can't have a bird that just doesn't get along, but a lot of times not enough space exacerbates inter-chicken aggression.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
I've had hens of all these breeds (different colors in some) except the Legbars, and none stand out as notoriously difficult. Our Wyandottes have been fine with no issues.
Salmon Favorelles, not on your list, tend to be very mild mannered, and having them with red sex-links, also not on your list, was a fail. Actually our red sex-link weren't 'nice' and most of them feather picked a lot. We no longer have them, might get SFs again sometime though.
Individual birds might have issues, or not, as already mentioned.
Try birds that look interesting, and modify your future choices as you go forward over time!
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with the others on breeds - I will admit that sometimes you get a bird that just does not fit in the flock, but that is more of a luck of the draw.

Not quite your question, but really space and how that space is set up determines more on birds getting along than the breeds. So when you say - you have enough space, what do you really mean? There are a lot of pre made coops and runs that vastly overestimate what number of birds that will fit in there.

Mrs K

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't think that group of breeds will have issue overall, but you can definitely help with that by providing an abundance of space (above the minimums you see posted on here) as well as varied enrichment to keep them occupied.

 

[MrIC]

Thanks for the feedback! As far as space goes, I'm converting a 10x12 shed to a coop. I'll add a wall to separate part of it for feed and supplies, so they'll have about 80 square feet inside the coop. For the run, I can make it as big as I need to keep them happy. Weve got plenty of room for them to free range, but we live in a wooded area and have owls and hawks on the property and the occasional bald eagle, so any free ranging will probably only be in those hamster ball cage things.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

…so any free ranging will probably only be in those hamster ball cage things.

If there’s really and truly such a thing, please, please, please promise to post a video! Because that would be epic.

- be sure to include the part where you get them into said chicken-sized hamster ball cage things.