Chicken Flocks: Mixed or All One Breed?

[adstowe]

Another fan of a mixed flock. I had all buff orpingtons at one point and I was happy with them, but I can't see going back to just one kind. There are too many options for that. I have buff and lavender orpingtons, EE, barred rock, RIR, black sex link, GLW, leghorn, and egyptian fayoumi. I'm considering closing my flock at this point, getting an incubator and just hatching from what I have.

 

[Elmochook]

Mixed flocks here too. Buff orpington, leghorn bantam, splash laced red Wyandottes, easter eggers, bantam cochins... LOL love them all

 

[Rondack]

Hamburgs are nice, they fly well too. They lay small eggs though.

 

[LaurEliz]

I have always had a mixed flock. They all hang out together and look beautiful in the yard with all their different colors (and personalities!)

 

[Shorty22366]

I have a mixed flock. I have 19 right now and getting 25 more babies in June. I do keep at least two of each of my breeds. Love all my babies. I researched to see which breeds worked good together.

 

[MichelleT]

My first 5 were "retired" hens from the organic egg-laying industry, so they were all the same (red sex links). While they were the same, we quickly learned to tell them apart and could even tell some of their eggs apart. (Queen Peach tended to lay peachy colored eggs, Marquis huge ones and Georgia smaller darker brown ones...)

Last year we added 5 chicks of mixed breeds, but only 2 survived so far... one of which was a New Hampshire Red, so now we have red hens PLUS one EE.

Last month we got 6 more chicks, hoping for a better success rate and none are red. HOpefully, we'll have a mix of red hens, two Easter Eggers, and one each of the following: Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Buff Orp, Black Astraulorp and Ancona.

While I'm glad we did the rescue route for our first flock, I think we'll have mixed flocks for the remainder of our chicken days for all of the reasons everyone has previously mentioned...

 

[7chickma]

We have a small mixed flock. It's really cool to see the difference in personalities between breeds.

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

Just Icelandics but very interested in a small mixed bantam flock. Though I would need to keep them and my Icies completely separated so still thinking on it.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I decided to start with a mixed flock, hopefully it will go well One Lavender Orpington, Australope, 2 Dorkings, Barnevelder, GLWyandotte, Buff Orpington and BCMarans

 

[oldhen2345]

When we started out we wanted a mixed flock to tell them apart and to try other breeds to see what we liked.

I have always had mixed flock- trying to see what kind works best for me. I have at present 2 Mottled Orpingtons (one is black with white spots and one white with black spots), a Splash Marans, a Welsummer, a Lavender Orpington and a Buff Brahma. I recently rehomed my pet Alberta- a Buff Orpington. I have had at times in the past, a couple Speckled Sussex, an Easter Egger, a Cinnamon Queen, a Barnevelder, a GL Wyandotte, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, 2 Buff Orpingtons. I traded and rehomed until I got the blend I liked best. If I had to choose a chicken to replace right now, I could not do it. I love them all.