Buying a mix of breeds

[hollophil]

Ok, the baby chicks didn't arrive today. They will come to tomorrow according to my feed store. That gave me time to think again about which breed to get as they will have a variety for sale. I was planning on all Barred Rocks but is it ok to get a mix of breeds? I only want 4 pullets max. If so, which ones will give me lots of good eggs and can survive a high desert cold winter and keep producing? Will they get along? I am thinking it might be nice to see different kinds in my coop/run. Oh, and must be friendly

 

[Snakeoil]

What breeds do you have to choose from?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

If they are raised together they will likely get along.
I couldn't decide either and came home with 9 different "flavors" with my 17 chicks. I think it's fun to have the diversity out there. I love that my eggs are all different colors!

 

[CityClucks]

Yes, it's okay to mix breeds and they will get along, especially if you get them all as chicks. There are lots of good egg layers who are hardy in all kinds of weather and friendly, plus look great in your yard or run. (Barred Rocks are my favorite breed - they fit the good layer/hardy/friendly criteria.) You may have seen this chart already - it give some good info on what breeds would be good for your purposes. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

All that said - are you getting your peeps from the feed store? Do you know what kind they'll be getting in? Sometimes they don't have a lot to choose from...at least around here.

 

[cmom]

When you get mixed breeds as chicks there should be no problems. As they get older they will still establish a pecking order. Here is a great reference book, Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent guide, as well as this web site. This site is an excellent source of information.

Also here are some other good sites and info.
Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html
http://www.mypetchicken.com/aboutChickens.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart