Brainstorming A Mixed Flock For a First Time Mama *DONE* Thanks for your help!

[Maurana]

UPDATE:
Thank you everyone for such quick and detailed responses! With all of this information thus far, I believe I've figured out what breeds I'd like in my future flock:

Ameraucana*
Araucana*
Australorp*
Maran*
New Hampshire Red*
Orpinton*
Plymouth Rock (Barred)*
Sussex* or Black/Red Sex-Linked*

Hey everyone,

After much lurking and researching I've finally joined BYC as I've come to begin my chicken education and planning my coop and flock! I'm starting this thread in hopes of being able to benefit from other's experiences and knowledge in mixing a flock.
My goal as a Chicken Mama is to raise and tend healthy and happy chickens and have our family benefit from their eggs. Personally, I'm wanting a variety of egg colors as well as a variety of chicken colors and patterns running about in the backyard. Here is my list (so far) of chickens I am considering as a first-time chicken parent. I also live in Indianapolis so hot summers and cold winters I've tried to account for in my selection:

(* indicates definite personal favorites)
*Araucana: Love the appeal of their blue-green eggs
*Australorp: First breed I came upon on BYC that sounded great for me as a beginner chicken parent
Barnevelder
*Maran: Beautiful looking and chocolate brown eggs sound fun, though apparently not too dependable to get that color depending on breeder?
*New Hampshire Red: Friendly and great with other animals and kids, or so I've read
Orloff: Haven't found these in the "Breeds" section unless they have a different name. Apparently suffer from pecking order issues?
*Orpington: Love the look and sound of them on paper, but will their docility not work in a mixed flock?
Plymouth rock: Read up that these tend to be bullies and flighty, not sure I could handle them.
Wyandotte: Also read up these can be bullies - true?

Would any of these potential breeds be poor candidates for a mixed flock? Know of any others you'd recommend for our Indiana climate that would survive a new-at-this chicken parent? I'd like to raise all of the breeds I do get together (get day old chicks to grow up together) unless it'd be recommended to grab pullets instead for this beginner.

I'm not planning on any breeding professionally, but my husband would like a roo for keeping the flock safer as well as breeding our own chickens for self sufficiency. What little I've read about roos I like the sounds of the Orpington roos the best: low rate of crowing, not very loud compared to most breeds. Should I or shouldn't I have a roo? Opinions and advice, please!

Sincerely,
Maurana

 

[DarthLayer]

Hello I live in Northwest Indiana. I have barred rocks, easter eggers, ameraucanas, white rocks, and silkies. My barred rocks are friendly and nice and not one bit flighty though I've had partridge rocks and those were flighty and mean. One of my friends have araucanas and they do fine out here I don't know much about there behaviors. I never asked. She also has Astralorps and they are friendly. I never had orpingtons but I hear they get bullied. That's all I know about the breeds on the top on my head. I have had a lot of experience with roosters ( I have had 4 and currently have 3 right now). My roosters have been good guardians of my flock against aerial predators. The ratio for roosters is 12 hens per rooster. Usually larger roosters have deeper crows and small roosters higher crows.

 

[ellie32526]

Hey everyone,

After much lurking and researching I've finally joined BYC as I've come to begin my chicken education and planning my coop and flock! I'm starting this thread in hopes of being able to benefit from other's experiences and knowledge in mixing a flock.
My goal as a Chicken Mama is to raise and tend healthy and happy chickens and have our family benefit from their eggs. Personally, I'm wanting a variety of egg colors as well as a variety of chicken colors and patterns running about in the backyard. Here is my list (so far) of chickens I am considering as a first-time chicken parent. I also live in Indianapolis so hot summers and cold winters I've tried to account for in my selection:

(* indicates definite personal favorites)
*Araucana: Love the appeal of their blue-green eggs
*Australorp: First breed I came upon on BYC that sounded great for me as a beginner chicken parent
Barnevelder
*Maran: Beautiful looking and chocolate brown eggs sound fun, though apparently not too dependable to get that color depending on breeder?
*New Hampshire Red: Friendly and great with other animals and kids, or so I've read
Orloff: Haven't found these in the "Breeds" section unless they have a different name. Apparently suffer from pecking order issues?
*Orpington: Love the look and sound of them on paper, but will their docility not work in a mixed flock?
Plymouth rock: Read up that these tend to be bullies and flighty, not sure I could handle them.
Wyandotte: Also read up these can be bullies - true?

Would any of these potential breeds be poor candidates for a mixed flock? Know of any others you'd recommend for our Indiana climate that would survive a new-at-this chicken parent? I'd like to raise all of the breeds I do get together (get day old chicks to grow up together) unless it'd be recommended to grab pullets instead for this beginner.

I'm not planning on any breeding professionally, but my husband would like a roo for keeping the flock safer as well as breeding our own chickens for self sufficiency. What little I've read about roos I like the sounds of the Orpington roos the best: low rate of crowing, not very loud compared to most breeds. Should I or shouldn't I have a roo? Opinions and advice, please!

Sincerely,
Maurana

I have 5 Black Australorps - love them; 4 White Rocks; 3 New Hampshires; 2 Buff Rocks and 1 Partridge Cochin. They all get along fine, except for the occasional squabbles trying to jockey for roost position at night. Some of them like to be in front of the fan at night - it gets pretty hot & humid. I have no issues with any of my Rocks, they are very sweet. All my birds follow me around the yard like little puppies.

My boss rooster is a New Hampshire and the other is a Partridge Cochin. Some roos can be a problem. Just try a breed that is docile and hope for the best. I do wish I had only one roo, but they get along okay, Red definitely lets Cowboy know who is boss.

 

[kmollyhughes]

Chickens? Yes, please!

Araucanians/ameraucanas (Easter Eggers) -super flighty, but great eggs (lowest in pecking order)
Marans- super hardy, but can be flighty and bossy to lower ranking girls
Barred rocks- really have to gain their trust, but great birds (middle of my flocks order)
Orpy- sweet, fluffy ( not picked on at all in my flock...probably 3rd in command)
Wyandottes- can for sure be bullies....they make it really hard when introducing younger birds into flock
Don't have a New Ham. Red...have RIR...super sweet.

Might try Brahmas. Super sweet, want attention. And Black Sex Links...highest ranking, but not overly bird aggressive....once they got to laying age they liked being held and "talked" a ton. So funny!

Good luck! Couldn't be happier with my mixed flock
(2BSL, GSL, Orpy, 2 Barred Rocks, Leghorn, 6 Easter Eggers, 2 SLW, 2 Light Brahmas, 10+ Marans, 2 RIR, and tons of Silkies)...probably forgot a couple. LOL

 

[redsoxs]

Hi again Maurana....I have a mixed flock of 18 birds comprised of 12 or 13 breeds. All get along well. I've never had (or even seen) Orloffs - I understand they are on the small side. That might cause an issue but if raised together I think all will get along just fine! Below is a breed comparison chart you might find useful. Good luck to you!

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[Amastacia]

i have Barred Rocks and Orpingtons, along with Isa Browns (red sex linkeds) and i love the Orps. the rocks are great too, but not as friendly as the orps. they aren't mean or anything, and none of mine are really willing to be handled at all (never worked with them on it). i have 8 hens total right now and they all seem to get along just fine, never had any fighting or anything. the Isa's lay the biggest eggs, but i like the personalities of the rocks and orps better. i'm pretty sure top hen in my flock is one of the orps and the rocks are the bottom, but like i said, no problems so far.

my interesting mix of 15 chicks i don't know enough about yet (only 3 and a half weeks old). and i have no idea what my other hens will think of them. hopefully no real problems.

 

[applegal]

Mauran- congratulations on your upcoming flock!

I'm in Michigan and have a mixed flock of mostly heavies. We have an insulated coop, typically don't add supplementary heat.
Australorps and Orps - love love love them, calm, don't get rattled easily and they will put others in their place if needed, fabulous mama's, even raising foster chicks for me.
Orloff's may be hard to find
Easter eggers - great birds, mine were on the flighty side when they were pullets, but they have settled - not aggressive at all, just sweet.
I had a RIR who was bright and friendly with people, but a bit bossy with the flock.
My barred rocks and wyandottes have all been different depending on the individual bird, ranging from assertive to flighty and even mellow. Both are beautiful and are great foragers.

The mixed flock is fine and everyone gets along, with minor differences worked out. I also find that since I added a roo the girls squabble less.

I also have a few Isa Browns and leghorns from the feed store for consistent layers. They are fun too.

Oh... I have a Red Dorking Rooster - ancient breed and he is wonderful.. gentle with the girls, but always on alert for protection. He is very good with humans as well. Definitely a breed to look into.
Best of luck to you!
Diana

 

[shmccarthy]

I'm from mid Michigan and picked most of my flock as to egg production and cold hardiness.

My Easter Eggers are by far my favorite. They have small pea combs which is good for winter. They also come in just about any color you can think of, and lay green/blue and sometimes pink eggs. They are a bit flighty, all mine are extremely sweet tempered. I would suggest looking into those.
I also have production reds, black sex links, red sex links, white leghorns, and a barred rock rooster. I also have a lot of bantams, but those are for my breeding/hatching project. They all get along very well. Not to mention its a pretty colorful flock. my pullets should be laying soon, they are 17 weeks and I'll be getting white, green, blue and brown eggs. The sex links and the production chickens are very good layers but usually peak after about 2 years.
I really want some orpingtons eventually.

 

[Maurana]

Thank you everyone for such quick and detailed responses! With all of this information thus far, I believe I've figured out what breeds I'd like in my future flock:

Ameraucana*
Araucana*
Australorp*
Maran*
New Hampshire Red*
Orpinton*
Plymouth Rock (Barred)*
Sussex* or Black/Red Sex-Linked*

Thanks again for all of your input, suggestions, and recommendations! Now to figure out my coop and run... But that's a whole other forum, now isn't it? I'll probably see your wonderful responses once I post there after doing some much more deeper research in the "Coops" section of BYC as well as the forums and the InterWebs

Ciao for now,
Maurana

 

[gryeyes]

I have a very mixed, fairly large flock with all those you named except for the Orloffs, plus a few others. Yours are good choices.

My favorites are Orpingtons, Australorps and Barred Rocks.

If you can swing it, either an Orpington or an EE (Easter Egger) would be a great flock rooster. My dominant rooster is an EE and he has been with me from the beginning. He was an "accidental" roo. Roo #2 is a mixed breed from my own flock; he's a mix of Brahma and Cuckoo Marans. (By the way, the breed name is Marans with an S.).

I have over 70 chickens, but 20 or so are juveniles. As the boys start to crow, they will go live somewhere else for a while before my friends process them for me.

I also have a bunch of Cayuga ducks, four turkeys, and five Toulouse geese. Everybody ranges freely together.

Obviously, I prefer the colors of a mixed flock. . Some of the flock members are bantam breeds, so I've got 'em big and small, solid colors and patterns of all kinds.

Wyandottes, in my experience, can be very bossy girls.