Are any of these breeds incompatible in a mixed flock?

[Cryss]

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

Thank you!

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!

X2

 

[RottyChicDog]

I am interested in the following breeds. I would get 2 of each and raise them together as chicks.

Buff and/or light Brahma, Silver-laced Wyandotte, Barred rock, buff Orpington, and Easter egger (because: blue eggs)

Brahmas were recommended to me because I am looking for breeds that are calm and docile, and less likely to fly or flutter over my 5 ft chain-link fence while free-ranging; I'm willing to clip wings. (It's not a huge problem if they do fly over the fence, but I'd prefer they didn't).

We have dogs that will share the back yard (not when the chickens are loose), and it'd be nice to have breeds that were less apt to be spooky/flighty. We also have young children, so a breed that was friendly and took treats from a gentle child would be a plus. Right now, I'm primarily interested in layers, though that may change in the future. Medium productivity is fine, or if some birds in the flock had higher productivity to even out the ones with lower productivity that would be okay too.

Coop will be 7 x 12 feet (not counting nest boxes). I don't plan to free range all the time. The run isn't built or finalized yet, but we have lots of space so it will be a minimum of 10 square ft per chicken, probably more. I'll make sure there's shade and a roofed section so they can get out of the rain, and lots of water, of course.

I'm completely new to chickens. Thank you for any insight you have the time to share!

I have Barred Rocks and Dominiques they are both very gentle, I even have a Barred Rock Roster who is very gentle and kind to his hens. Of course roosters aren't required and can be a problem sometimes. Barred Rocks lay large eggs about 4 to 5 a week, Dominiques lay medium eggs about 3 to 4 a week. Orphingtons are awesome, gentle and great layers of large/xlarge eggs and great with kids. My White leghorns are very curious and lay large white eggs. Easter Eggers are known to be calm and sweet also along with Olive Eggers, Ameraucanas which are all colored egg layers. Black Australorps are calm and kind and lay large brown eggs.
I would not recommend Rhode Island Reds, they are dominant in my experience and the roosters are very aggressive to other chickens and sometimes humans. I also have a Delaware hen who is dominant with the others too.
I haven't had Brahmas but I've read they are calm and docile.
I would also take into consideration comb size depending on what part of the country you live in.
Chickens with large combs are more susceptible to frostbite, I live in northern West Virginia and this past winter caused frostbite to many of my large combed birds. There is no treatment for it, you shouldn't touch it or put anything on their combs to try to prevent it. Even with them in a very cozy Amish 10x12 barn coop, they were affected. Just something to think about.
I got my White Leghorns in a batch of chicks that the breeds were unknown and they have very large combs, they are great girls but I wouldn't have picked them for my region and in the future will only be getting chicks of known breeds.
I hope this helps ~ Cheers

 

[TwoShepherds]

Thank you everyone! I have loved reading about your experiences and your flocks, and the great pictures! I wish that I could try all the breeds that everyone has suggested. I hope I end up with breeds that will more or less get along. I'm ordering from a hatchery so hopefully being raised together will help.

 

[Willowspirit]

I love my Speckled Sussex, Dotty! She’s curious, friendly, and not overly afraid of the older birds who are higher in the pecking order.

View attachment 1759928

Gorgeous bird!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Thank you everyone! I have loved reading about your experiences and your flocks, and the great pictures! I wish that I could try all the breeds that everyone has suggested. I hope I end up with breeds that will more or less get along. I'm ordering from a hatchery so hopefully being raised together will help.

So what have you decided on?

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 View attachment 1762825View attachment 1762826View attachment 1762827

I read your story in Backyard Poultry!

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

My flock conists of one light Brahma, 4 Easter Eggers, 1 barred rock and 2 Blue Rock. I also have 5 silkies which will most likely be housed separately.

 

[TwoShepherds]

It was a hard choice, but I finally ended up picking 2 buff Brahmas, 2 buff Orpingtons, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 dominiques, 2 silver laced wyandottes, a silver gray dorking, and a sussex. All of the hatcheries that I knew to check were out of favorelles until late in the summer. I guess I will have to get them another time. I hope I picked the right breeds and I hope they all arrive healthy...I've never ordered a live animal through the mail before, I'm more than a little nervous about that!

 

[SueT]

It was a hard choice, but I finally ended up picking 2 buff Brahmas, 2 buff Orpingtons, 2 Easter Eggers, 2 dominiques, 2 silver laced wyandottes, a silver gray dorking, and a sussex. All of the hatcheries that I knew to check were out of favorelles until late in the summer. I guess I will have to get them another time. I hope I picked the right breeds and I hope they all arrive healthy...I've never ordered a live animal through the mail before, I'm more than a little nervous about that!

It sounds good! When will they be shipped? Please update us on arrival!!!!! With pics!!!!!!!!

 

[TwoShepherds]

It sounds good! When will they be shipped? Please update us on arrival!!!!! With pics!!!!!!!!

Shipping day is May 15!!! If you all are interested, I definitely don't need any encouragement to post pictures!

 

[Jack Speese]

One potential incompatibility that comes to my mind would be crested breeds (Polish, for example) in a mixed flock. Other hens may pull the feathers out of their crests. And I have had that happen. But other than that, I've raised many different breeds together and never had a problem, especially not when you get them all at once. Like when you order a mix of different breeds of chicks and they all grow up together. The only aggression I ever had was having more than one rooster. They may all get along fine when they are young, but as they get older inevitably one becomes the dominant one and will mercilessly attack the other roosters.