Are there any breeds that don't do well together?

[CSDeVault]

Hello,

I was just curious if any specific breeds don't work well with other breeds in a flock? Here is a list of the breeds I am purchasing. Any issues you foresee?

Buff Orpington, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, RIR, Austra White, Black Copper Maran, Welsummer, Easter Egger, Oliver Egger, Golden Laced Wyandotte..

I was thinking about added a bantam to the flock because I would like to have a breed that goes broody (if I want to hatch some eggs without an incubator) but then I started thinking it may be a bad idea to have a single smaller chicken in a flock of much larger birds...also not sure that a bantam would be able to sit on many eggs in the first place.

Thank you!

 

[50-45-1]

Many of the breeds you have already chosen will go broody. At least they have for me.
I would avoid adding a banty to be a lone member of a standard flock. They get picked on sometimes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Abundance is a social lubricant. Have "lots of" can help. Lots of food, lots of roost space, lots of water sources, lots of ground in which to play, lots of clutter with which to play with. Still, no guarantees.

Big size disparities can be a problem - they magnify the normal pecking order concerns, particularly when smallest is last to be added. Other things that set them apart -like adding one white bird, or one pretty feathered bird (frizzle) with a bunch of standard production reds. "Odd man out" syndrome and othering.

Even so, no guarantees.

Personally, I dropped $85 for a 12 egg incubator, and called it a day. My broodies are inconsistent and have yet to have successfully hatched anything.

 

[Windrider]

I've never had anything but bantams, so I can't speak from experience about your breeds, but I've seen quite a few posts here about RIRs consistently being bullies. Many here seem to think they are at least a very assertive breed, and may not always mix well with very mellow birds like Orps.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have most of those breeds in my flock, and everyone gets along well! (Don’t have a RIR, Orpington or Austra White). I do have a Production Red. I think if you get them at the same age and in the same amounts (1 of each breed, or 2 of each breed, etc), they should be fine! I don’t think I’d mix 1 bantam in. Agree that a Cochin would be very broody, but Orpington go broody semi-regularly as well!

My Orp went broody like at least 5-7 times one year Idk how common that is lol my Australorps went broody a couple times too, usually when they saw the Orp brooding, and my Speckled Sussex also went broody and actually hatched chicks but she wasn’t a great mother and my Australorp stole them from her

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hello,

I was just curious if any specific breeds don't work well with other breeds in a flock? Here is a list of the breeds I am purchasing. Any issues you foresee?

Buff Orpington, Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, RIR, Austra White, Black Copper Maran, Welsummer, Easter Egger, Oliver Egger, Golden Laced Wyandotte..

I was thinking about added a bantam to the flock because I would like to have a breed that goes broody (if I want to hatch some eggs without an incubator) but then I started thinking it may be a bad idea to have a single smaller chicken in a flock of much larger birds...also not sure that a bantam would be able to sit on many eggs in the first place.

Thank you!

You can get a standard Cochin. They tend to go broody of you get one from other than a hatchery

 

[CSDeVault]

What incubator did you

Abundance is a social lubricant. Have "lots of" can help. Lots of food, lots of roost space, lots of water sources, lots of ground in which to play, lots of clutter with which to play with. Still, no guarantees.

Big size disparities can be a problem - they magnify the normal pecking order concerns, particularly when smallest is last to be added. Other things that set them apart -like adding one white bird, or one pretty feathered bird (frizzle) with a bunch of standard production reds. "Odd man out" syndrome and othering.

Even so, no guarantees.

Personally, I dropped $85 for a 12 egg incubator, and called it a day. My broodies are inconsistent and have yet to have successfully hatched anything.

What incubator did you get?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What incubator did you

What incubator did you get?

THIS ONE. Its been running non stop since last December until 2 weeks ago, when my last duck was hatched. Starting again in about 2 weeks for the New Years Hatch a Long.

/edit I should say it does real well with temp, but not so great with humidity (as is apparently the case with others of similar design).

 

[ShrekDawg]

All of those breeds should get along really well and you will love them all

I find moreso issues with certain personalities over breeds i.e. some more gentle breeds can get picked on by more feisty breeds so watch out for that but I don’t think you’ll have any issues especially with so many.

I personally have had all of these except for the Austra White, Marans (the name has an s even in singular form, btw named for the region in France), Olive Egger, and Wyandotte. They all got along wonderfully and I loved all of them.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have most of those breeds in my flock, and everyone gets along well! (Don’t have a RIR, Orpington or Austra White). I do have a Production Red. I think if you get them at the same age and in the same amounts (1 of each breed, or 2 of each breed, etc), they should be fine! I don’t think I’d mix 1 bantam in. Agree that a Cochin would be very broody, but Orpington go broody semi-regularly as well!