Can Diff Breed Chicks Be Buddies?

[MontanaMomma]

I have a very small flock and added two Araucana chicks last Spring. I kept them together as chicks. When they were ready to go out to the coop they fit into the flock perfectly, have adorable personalities and are inseparable. I'm convinced this is the best way to add to my little flock- in two's. This Spring I would like to add two more chicks. I am considering these breeds- Plymouth Rock, Orpington and Wyandotte. If my goal is for them to be "buddies" is there any reason I shouldn't get two different breeds to grow up together? Thanks for any input.

 

[berniezahm]

I guess you could tie them togather with a pull tie, sort of like a three legged race we used to do when I was a kid.

Seriously, I have no idea what so ever. But I'm going to subscribe to this thread so I can find out.

 

[lillylsj]

i dont imagine why not all my laying hens are diffrent and all get along just fine. i find if you put them in at the same time the newbies will stick together.

 

[NovaAman]

yup...

I started out with a few silkie chicks, added 2 leggerns, then 4 wyandottes, and then 3 full grown faverolles, and then 9 more chicks of various muttlyness... They got along great. I recently added a lone hen, and I first put her in with my lone silkie roo, and she now ranges with the rest of the flock, but still sleeps in the garage with Roger and one of my Wyandottes who has decided garage life is better than coop life... But she lays her eggs in the coop... Go figure. LOL

But in a word, yes. Just make sure they are big enough to add to the flock first... about 2-3 months old would work... They will be better at getting away while the new pecking order is established...

 

[[email protected]]

i have 9 older chickens all raised together they get along for the most part, but almost seems like the same breeds stick together.

 

[azygous]

I have a flock consisting of five different breeds. I've found that the younger ones hang out together with the ones they were raised in the brooder with, no matter the breed. (One brooder consisted of three different breeds.)

The hens who are older, tend to form other relationships, but will always hang most with their former brooder mates. In some cases, they're the same breed.

Rarely, a chicken who is very different in some respect may get picked on, but it's usually something other than breed differences.

You will be delighted and enjoy raising different breeds. Go for it!

 

[gryeyes]

What azgous said.

Chickens don't give a hoot about breeds, just like dogs and cats don't care how different other dog and cat breeds look. There is sometimes some picking on radically different breeds, such as a solo crested bird in a flock may have head feathers pecked out of curiosity, over and over again. I keep a slew of different breeds plus their mixed-breed offspring, standard and bantam breeds. No crested birds YET (3 silkie chicks are in a brooder as I type this) so mine all look like "regular" chickens, just different colors, sizes, and feathering on legs and feet. That sort of thing. Makes no never mind to 'em.

 

[chshafer]

I don't see any reason those breeds would not be able to grow up as "buddies". i've heard of birds with fancy feathers getting picked on or having them plucked by the "normal" feathered birds but i havent run into that experience. i had a brahma mix roo with feathered feet and he got along fine with my non-feather footed birds.

 

[stcroixusvi]

What azgous said.

Chickens don't give a hoot about breeds, just like dogs and cats don't care how different other dog and cat breeds look. There is sometimes some picking on radically different breeds, such as a solo crested bird in a flock may have head feathers pecked out of curiosity, over and over again. I keep a slew of different breeds plus their mixed-breed offspring, standard and bantam breeds. No crested birds YET (3 silkie chicks are in a brooder as I type this) so mine all look like "regular" chickens, just different colors, sizes, and feathering on legs and feet. That sort of thing. Makes no never mind to 'em.

I'm not so sure I agree....maybe not breed, but color. Our RIR tend to hang out together and so do the BPR. We have two wheat colored birds, different breeds, but typically picked on the most by the other breeds, and they hang out together or alone apart from the rest of the flock.

 

[MontanaMomma]

Um, Nova, I hope Roger isn't your husband

Thank you all for your input. I think I'll try two different breed for "buddies." I just have to decide which breeds. On another note, I love having a mixed flock. At first I just had five Leghorns and they picked on each other all the time. There was always an obvious "boss" and an obvious "butt." Then three of the Leghorns died (two collapsed unexpectedly and one peritonitus, not to mention the remaining two hardly lay after 3 years-not a fan of Leghorns!) I added the two Aracaunas and things have been wonderful! I LOVE the Aracaunas and look forward to adding the next two new hens/breeds to my flock. My Aracaunas also lay eggs of different shades so we know which egg is Hanna's (dark green) and which egg is Clementine's (light blue). I like this very much and would like to introduce two new hens with unique colors of their own. Must be cold hardy, not broody, like pina coladas and dancing in the rain.

yup...

I started out with a few silkie chicks, added 2 leggerns, then 4 wyandottes, and then 3 full grown faverolles, and then 9 more chicks of various muttlyness... They got along great. I recently added a lone hen, and I first put her in with my lone silkie roo, and she now ranges with the rest of the flock, but still sleeps in the garage with Roger and one of my Wyandottes who has decided garage life is better than coop life... But she lays her eggs in the coop... Go figure. LOL

But in a word, yes. Just make sure they are big enough to add to the flock first... about 2-3 months old would work... They will be better at getting away while the new pecking order is established...