This is our first time ordering chicks and there are too many that have the traits that we like - also the colors so are beautiful. Can we have too many breeds to start? We are watching temperament and hardiness as well. Finally, hopefully not totally stupid questions. Do we have to have a cock for each breed? And will the cock from one breed only mate with its like hens? Can't wait in Ohio
Quote: Nope, have as many breeds as you like. No, just a roo for every 4-10 hens. A roo will go for whichever gal is available. Must be a guy thing
Quote: Nope, have as many breeds as you like. No, just a roo for every 4-10 hens. A roo will go for whichever gal is available. Must be a guy thing x2
You can have as many breeds as you like. If you want to see the same breeds in the offspring you do have to have a cock for each and pen them separately. Otherwise you will end up a with a bunch of barnyard mix aka mutts and very few purebred chicks.
mix breeds can be fun though! I've got a co-worker who has a white silkie hen and an Easter Egger rooster. Ended up with three chicks that look like feather dusters!
Thanks for the help, we are ready to order and can't wait. We plan to keep breeds separated, as much as possible, as we would like to breed our own, but we will love them all.
I have 5 Easter Eggers, 2 Black Jersey Giants, 2 Delawares, and 2 Barred Rock. I used the breed select offered by BYC to help me choose the breeds that are more suited to my area, the frequency/size/color of eggs to expect, layers or meat birds, chickens that are more prone to broodiness, and the temperment I would enjoy. So far at 2 1/2 weeks old all get along, under red light rarely pecking at each other and for the most part they sleep next to each. All are friendly, the BR, JG and Dels are brave enough to let me touch them without running for their lives. The Easter Eggers are a little more shy. All are seem friendly enough, one of the dels has taken a particular liking to my diamond wedding ring. I choose a big variety mainly for the color and size of the eggs. This is a great forum that has helped me ALOT, since I am a newbie to chickens. I am having tons of fun, maybe I'm just easy to amuse. Enjoy.
Quote:Nope, we have 14 chicks; 11 different breeds and one is our rooster. Plus we have 7 more coming of assorted breed bantams! My kids helped pick out our flock and its nice having a nice mix of color and shape in the coop edited to add: if you look at my signature you can see all the breeds we picked, most are for eggs but a few were just for color!!
Sometimes stuff just happens. Chickens are pretty hardy especially if the coop and grounds are kept clean and the waterers and food source is clean. They will stay well if you practice good habits like not bringing home new chickens and not quarantining them. And if you make sure you have "coop"shoes so you are not tracking other things that can make them sick. They still have issues. I lost one who got startled at night and flew into the coop door and broke her neck, lost one to a hawk, two to a dog, two to being egg bound, a few to some mystery illness that made them lame, I was stupid and accepted a chicken that I thought was mine but wasn't and I didn't realize it until the next day and that chicken gave the rest some kind of respitory cold thing. I had to put two down due to illness with no improvement. Stuff just happens. I found that keeping them draft free was better health wise that keeping them in a heated environment. I have 34 chickens all kinds of breeds and sizes mixed in the flock of which 8 are roos. Buy and use the apple cidar vinagar in the water and the diatemacious earth Worm them and bleach out the coops when you can. Caroline
Most of us on this board have mixed breed flocks. The birds don't know they're different breeds and yes, a roo will mate with any hen. If you want purebred babies, you need a roo that's the same breed as the hen, and keep her from any other roosters. And you don't need a rooster for the hens to lay eggs, either. Have fun with your birds!