Are any of these breeds incompatible in a mixed flock?

[Charlenesmom]

I started with one Rhode Island Red who ran away from her her home and adopted us. I added Two Buff Orps and one Silver Laced Wyandotte. They are now three months old and have been integrated with Charlene, looking out from their temporary run, and also when I allow Charlene to enter their run for visits. Charlene is gentle and tolerant of the babies curiosity and even allowed one to pull a piece of hay from her beak. She definitely stands taller when she’s with them, I assume to let them know who the lead hen is, lol, but she has been very good with them, and they seem to understand the pecking order already. Charlene is a lap chicken who loves to be held and as long as she continues to get her special time I don’t foresee and problems between these breeds. When I am talking to the chicklets she will gently peck the back of my leg letting me know that it’s time for me to sit so she can get her lap time. If anyone is interested, Charlene is a feature story in the current edition of Backyard Poultry

 

[SueT]

awww. sounds like she's glad to have a flock!

 

[Charlenesmom]

Well, I have to disagree about the Barred Rocks. We researched breeds before diving into chickens and selected Barred Rocks especially for their more gentle disposition.

I know that some may have other experiences but our first two flocks we're entirely made up of Barred Rocks. I found them to be gentle with me, which was important because I had never been exposed to raising chickens and was quite tenative about reaching into an occupied box to check for an egg. (The first time I did, I talked to the hen & asked her if I could please check to see if she had an egg. When she stood up, she just watched me slowly reach toward her and practically turned herself upside down looking to see what I was doing.) It is also true that the only hen that ever bit me (repeatedly & hard) was a Barred Rock. She was one of my last Barred Rock girls & just didn't like to be touched. It took me 3 years of working with her to get her to politely exit a box with eggs & I just learned not to fuss with her. I'd have her back in a nano second, as I would with any of my past hens (and roos, for that matter!)

Just like people, you will find different personalities with your chickens. Some will be saucier than others, some will be docile, some standoffish, some smart, some oblivious, some flighty, some moody and everything in between.

It's sometimes about how you raise them that helps to bring out their best temperment traits, too. No matter the flock, you're going to enjoy discovering the different aspects of your flock. And yourself.

One of the things I've come to understand about myself is that without a little chicken time each day, I am a cranky person. There's not much that can't be made better by a little chicken tv!

I agree, different chickens, different personalities. I also think that the more chickens you have, the less one on one time you are able to spend with them. Smaller flocks are easier for me, it gives me more time to get to know each hen and to cultivate their best qualities. I don’t know what the perfect number of birds in a flock are, but I know that for me and my girls the time and attention that they receive directly affects their personalities and behavior.
The babies that I recently added are learning to be lap chickens like Charlene because I spend time everyday with them, a few times a day, holding and talking to each one.
My Laced Wyandotte was the most skittish at first but now she climbs right up on my lap with the other two. Yes, I have had three pullets sharing my lap at the same time, posturing for the best place closest to my chest, and no, I don’t have a big lap.lol Unfortunately no selfie. Will try to catch it again.

 

[Charlenesmom]

awww. sounds like she's glad to have a flock!

I believe she is!

 

[Ash1974]

I must have missed your list. Do you have a link?

Search So you're thinking about raising chickens...

 

[jengrinager]

I have two dark Brahmas, an Americauna, a gold laced Wyandotte, an Orpington, a Welsummer, and a New Hampshire Red. They are all getting along great. The Brahmas and the Orpington are the most friendly (I've owned chickens just 3 years now) of the bunch. I got them at different times and so they have not all grown up together. The two Brahmas and the Americauna were my first chickens and I got them at 2 days old while the others were added a year or two later and were pullets when I got them. If you spend time in the coop, talk to them while you are cleaning and feeding, and pick them up regularly, they will become docile for the most part. I do pay attention to making sure I get docile breeds. I live in California and our summers here get up over 100 F, but it is dry and not humid here. They do fine, but I wet down the coop, use a mister, and give them frozen "treats".

 

[Kris5902]

Barred Rocks aren't inherently nastier birds - They can be just a tad more aggressive in safeguarding their position for the 1st 4-6 months. Once settled in, they're really sweet and good layers. I ran some with my Ameraucanas last year and they do peck more & harder, but they do not fly nearly as well so a 5' fence would have kept ours in.

Be careful about getting EEs if you're specifically looking for blue eggs. Easter eggers can be anything from white layers through to chocolate with pinks, blues & olives in between. It depends on the cross. If you had Ameraucanas in your list, I would tell you that a 5' fence is completely inadequate unless it's covered - They are extremely good at flying!

You can train your dogs to help out with the birds. We currently have 4 dogs guarding the birds & property of which only 1 belongs to us. We decided to train the neighbour' dogs after loosing a bird to one of them. So it can be done fairly easily

Good luck & enjoy!

Would love it if you would start a thread/article about how you trained your dogs for this. So many people here have issues with dogs and chickens, and I was thinking last night how good it would be to have a dog out with my tractors when I move them further from my living area! If you ever do, please tag me!

 

[ChicksDigItFCF]

Thanks, that's good to know! I added Plymouth rocks specifically because I've heard someone say that they're easy. Have you found them to be aggressive in a flock?--I definitely don't want anyone getting picked on. I had Dominiques on my reserve list, so I'd be happy to switch them around. I'll have to research white leghorns, I was a little sad not to have any white egg layers on the list!

My Barred Rock worked Great for my mixed flock and I am a first time chicken keeper

 

[ChicksDigItFCF]

Not sure on the Barred Rocks, but I had a White Rock in my last flock and he was very friendly, almost like a lap dog, but a bit over-enthusiastic over food (would push other chickens out of the way during treat time and wouldn't leave you alone). Otherwise very calm and easy to catch.

Orpingtons are great backyard birds and very family-friendly. My silver laced Orp is a favorite with my nephews and she just sits on their laps and lets them hold her.

Your other breeds look fine to me, though I have a golden laced Wyandotte and have found her to be a very standoffish, even unfriendly bird towards people (not aggressive, just zero interest in interacting with people), but socializes very well with the rest of the flock.

Agreed

 

[ShelleyN]

I’ve had three separate groups of chickens raised in our kitchen since becoming a backyard chicken person. The first group of 3 the BO was head chicken and Wyandotte on the bottom. The second group of 4, the BR had the most incredible personality and would interact with people but again, the BO was head chicken. My current group of 4 again the BR thinks she is a human but the BO is on the bottom I think. It just depends!