Are any of these breeds incompatible in a mixed flock?

[Ash1974]

Oh wow! I wasn't that brave. I started with 6. A raccoon got into our coop when they were a couple years old. Dug under the door only completely killed 1 (which is too many)but messed up the egg laying for the rest for a long time. The rest are long gone but they were good birds. I will have to check out your list because I know I'm not done getting little chicks. I manage to talk my husband into at least 6 more every year.

We had about a dozen Leghorns and a couple white ducks when I was young, so I at least had a bit of an idea what to feed them and how to clean the coops, but that was about it. Lol. Btw, I edited my last post(forgot to mention how the rest of the flock was doing).

 

[Kris5902]

I would also second adding Marans to the list, mine are absolutely sweeties, one actually likes being held, even by children and they have super soft feathers (granted my rooster doesn’t like most kids) and their eggs are beautiful. My two are my most reliable layers in a mixed flock with much smaller and similar sized birds, and I haven’t had any problems with them towards the other chickens.

Though personable and pretty I would steer clear of any leghorns or leghorn crosses due to the “flying” aspect. I had one fly over 20 feet up and out the gable end of my barn.

Also, how old are the chickens you’re getting? I found raising the different breeds together helped with flock compatibility... no one was really singled out or outnumbered. but with chicks there’s always the potential for unexpected boys...

 

[rascal66]

My Brahmas and Easter eggers are the sweetest and most gentle.

I recommend to steer clear from Wyandottes or having too many wyandottes as they usually boss other around and become the top in the pecking order. (My experience).

I think you can really have any breed you want, I have just heard that don't have too many of one specific breed, especially more aggressive or tough breeds. I have e a mixed flock with the birds I've listed and they are fine, especially when the pecking order is established. My Gold laced Wyandotte is the queen. No one stands in her way without a little peck.

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks everyone! There are so many great breeds to choose from, which makes it hard to narrow down the list. It's really helpful to hear from those who have firsthand experience.

I also have a Barred Rock, as well as an Australorp and two Isa Browns. If anything, it’s the Isas that have been the bullies (the Barred Rock and the Australorp are still pullets) and my new two are very docile. They’re still not up for me cuddling them yet (they scream blue murder if I need to pick them up) but are not at all agro. They are twice as big as the Isas but squeeze themselves in and out of the henhouse door fine. I can definitely recommend them!

 

[JB Creations]

I’ve only had one Wyandotte, but she is the biggest bully ever! She’ll even come after me and give me quite a blood drawing peck if I do something she doesn’t like. My Barred Rock is next in the pecking order and she keeps the others in line without being brutal and is one of the sweetest, funniest birds I have! I also have 2 Polish, 3 Ameraucana, 1 Silkie, 1 Belgian D’ Uccle and a Bantam Cochin. They all have different personalities. So will yours regardless of breed. Just enjoy getting to know them you will be surprised at just how different they all are.

 

[Phill98]

Is there any not-leghorn-looking chicken that lays white eggs? By that I mean no Appenzeller Spitzhaubens, Polish or Hamburgs. Something heavier and not flighty, something like Dorkings, but they are really hard to get here I live?

 

[Cryss]

I just created a checklist for anyone that is thinking of getting into raising chickens.

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

 

[breege]

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.

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!

 

[Cryss]

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

It's very true they aren't inherently mean. But there can be a rogue in any breed. As for age being a factor, my BR was a year younger than the oldest hens and several months younger than my youngest hens. They were a year old when Fraggle became a bully. She had not seemed mean in any way previously.

 

[breege]

It's very true they aren't inherently mean. But there can be a rogue in any breed. As for age being a factor, my BR was a year younger than the oldest hens and several months younger than my youngest hens. They were a year old when Fraggle became a bully. She had not seemed mean in any way previously.

Our BRs were 1-1/2 yrs younger than the original Ameraucanas. They did try to dominate, but "Queen" Mattie, our dominant BW would have none of it & put them in their place while they were still somewhat smaller than her.

They were the 1st of last year' hatches to move into the coop, so they were the oldest of the newbies, so maybe that played a role. The other thing is that they were only confined either at night or if we were out, otherwise they all free ranged all day long. We did note that when they were confined, they would randomly pluck a feather off any hen/rooster that they passed. Not in a nasty way, more in a weird "do I know you?" kind of way

The flock by last summer consisted of 5 BRs, 22 AMs of varying ages (2>1yr) + 3 AM roosters. I only sold the BRs recently to make room for some Partridge Chanteclers & because we had to grease their combs & wattles everyday all last winter .