Can a variety of breeds be raised and kept together?

[NixNoodleNumbat]

, BTW

 

[BorderKelpie]

I liked the Leghorn pullet I had. She wasn't any 'spazzier' than some of my others.
She was the pink Easter chick I got, the other two (pink and green) were roos. Unfortunatly, she was an internal layer and I lost her early on. I may get more come this next Easter. I thought she was pretty.

eta:

I know you will enjoy your time here.

 

[Farmama]

Quote:
I actually had wondered about that, because I saw that they were labled as being "flighty". My reason for thinking about getting them was early laying, but maybe I would be better off looking into a different breed. Would it help to handle them daily when they were babies?

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
I actually had wondered about that, because I saw that they were labled as being "flighty". My reason for thinking about getting them was early laying, but maybe I would be better off looking into a different breed. Would it help to handle them daily when they were babies?

Nope! In my experience tameness as adults is more down to a combination of breed characteristics and individual chicken personalities. I have two 24 week old Leghorn pullets that I hatched myself and handled daily for weeks on end. I also have a Marsh Daisy pullet of the same age that I got as a 10 week old chick, who had been raised in a shed on an allotment with minimal human interaction other than the basic daily feeding/watering. When I got her she was really tame and calm and friendly, and she's stayed like that. Right now she's the only one of my chickens that I can just bend down and pick up when they're all out free ranging. She's a funny little thing really.

 

[Judy]

Actually, many people do recommend handling them a lot when they are young -- the pullets, that is. It can create or worsen an aggressive roo's behavior.

I had a few brown leghorns who were stand-offish but not spazzes. Not friendly though. You're much more likely to get friendly, easily tamed chickens from the more common dual purpose breeds, orps, barred rock, speckled sussex, and so forth. RIR also seem to have a high incidence of meanness.

My Sussex are by far my friendliest, and get friendlier with age. But of course they are individuals, you can get a lap leghorn and a mean buff orp, you never know.

 

[Gypsy07]

Gosh, I didn't actually mean not to handle them at all! Reading back what I wrote, it does look like that though. I'm such a doofus. Sorry for not being clear. I handle all my chicks and young birds as often as I can. What I actually meant was that so far I have noticed absolutely no correlation between amount of time being handled as a young chickie and friendliness as an adult bird. I wouldn't advise specifically NOT handling them, I just meant that in my experience, it doesn't count for much...

 

[gritsar]

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I just like a bird that I can reach down and scoop up anytime I want, without it freakin' out like the devil has grabbed hold of it. One that doesn't slam into walls when there's a sudden movement or noise. That's how the leghorns I had many years ago were. Now I have brahmas (amongst other breeds). My brahmas not only don't freak, they gather around to see what the noise you made was all about.

 

[shareverwonder]

My first year raising chickens was last year. I got a white leghorn roo. Started out ok until his hormones kicked in. Had to get rid of him cuz he attacked (as she claims) an old lady in the cemetary next door to me.

I handled him daily and he still turned out rotten.

I also have 2 buff orphs - they're pretty flighty but my two golden buffs are the sweetest little things. I guess it just depends on their personality.

 

[annaraven]

My Buff Orpington is a lap hen. She jumps up in our laps all the time. Our spazziest chicken is the Sicilian Buttercup - she's the one who's afraid to leave the coop if the dog is standing there (everyone else just runs by him or under him. I'm waiting for someone to run over him!)

My lightbrown leghorn is a bit standoffish, until I pull out the treats. They all come running for treats - and will eat out of my hands.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've mainly had issues raising lightweight, more aggressive breeds, with heavyweight, docile breeds. Sometimes, even with plenty of space, you can still have trouble. I was raising a really eclectic mix, because I was raising a mixed flock for me and a different mixed flock for my friends. We had ordered together and I was growing theirs out for them, as a favor. Some of theirs were really aggressive and I had to split them before they were ready to lay. They had some of the most aggressive breeds and I had Dorkings and Favorolles, among others. NOT a great combination. If you have chickens even remotely similar in temperament, they usually get along great.