Beginner chicken girl wondering about the best mixed flock.

[jjart]

I am a country girl at heart but am married to a city boy. I have wanted to raise chickens for years and because of some new local ordinances allowing backyard chickens I am going to get some. I have a small suburban lot with close neighbors and I want to keep everyone happy. I think I would like to get 2 bantam Silkies, a Cochin bantam, and maybe 1 or 2 standard Ameraucanas so we can actually have some pretty eggs to eat. My questions is, will the larger breed pick on the bantams, and will these breeds be good for my situation (need to be quiet)? I would be happy to have any other advice you offer.

 

[gryeyes]

You should have no trouble with the mixture of bantam and large fowl breeds you've mentioned. I have a rather large flock with several bantams mixed in with large fowl - and two Cayuga ducks.

I can't speak about silkies, but the bantam Cochins will be able to hold their own with LF breeds. They don't know they're smaller! As long as your chickens are all girls, you won't have to deal with crowing, at which banty roosters excel.

Post pictures once you get them - we all love to see pix of chix.

 

[The Funky Chicken Dunce]

My only problem is that all of the rest of my hens AND roosters are afraid of my Silkies, just because of their looks!

If they had been raised together they would've been fine I'm sure, but I got my Silkies after the others were already grown and I guess they don't look "chicken enough" for all my normal feathered chickens to except. So they run when the silkies get near them (Which is awfully funny to watch) and now I have chicken cliques

So if they are adults that come from different places, watch out. Otherwise that seems like a fine combo. And FYI silkies can hold their own, very spunky.

 

[wbruder17]

My silkies and bantam cochins (2 of each) are my LOUDEST. They squalk about everything. If they don't have their fav chicken friend, they squak. If they are laying an egg or about to, they cackle and "cry". Or whatever else they are happy/unhappy about, they make an unbelievable ruckus for their size. They are all very sweet, but also very loud. I wonder about my neighbors with these girls.... and I have a rooster, which is not as loud or vocal as my silkies and banties.

 

[wbruder17]

P.S. they have more than enough coop/run space, so it has nothing to do with that.

 

[PrettyCoy]

Quote:
Ack, you are scaring me! I hope my future silkie isn't a squacker!

 

[chickintexas]

My Silkies are on the opposite side of the noise spectrum. It's my EEs that make a lot more ruckus but its usually the egg song that gets them going.
My neighbor up the street has a huge mixed flock of bantams, LF, ducks, guineas, peacocks, and one Turkey. All free range. They'll have their squabbles on occasion but everyone gets along for the most part.
The funniest thing I think I've seen happen with her flock is when the strange neighborhood guineas come around to challenge her guineas. The peacocks act as referees and separate the fighting if it gets too out of hand. After this fiasco went on for a bit, one stranger guinea went after the peacock and the peacock turned around and kicked the crud out of him!