Chicken psychology

[BigBird 2025]

I am brand new to BYC so I'm learning. I'm in central Florida. I am allowed 4 chickens per county ordinance. Do chickens need to be in pairs or can I have 4 different breeds together. so many cool breeds available and chicken math will only allow me to count up to 4 any thoughts experiences with this Thanks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

For the most part you can mix and match breeds though it's not recommended to mix really docile breeds, especially ones that look "different" (i.e. Silkies, Polish) with more aggressive ones.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Welcome to BYC!

You can have multiple different breeds together, but docile breeds (such as orpingtons and silkies) are likely to get bullied by others.

 

[Loving my girls]

I have a total mix of hens, lots of colours.
I would recommend different colour eggs if possible so that you know if someone is not laying/laying elsewhere or if her eggs are not up to standard implying there may be a problem.
Have fun

 

[RoyalChick]

I currently only have five and they are different from each other. They all grew up together and get on just fine.
I don’t have any wildly different one though. So no Polish, Silkies, or game hens. I do have a couple with crests and one with feathered feet but that hasn’t provoked any attacking.
Enjoy your flock!

 

[Mrs. K]

Get close to the same size as in either standard chickens or bantam chickens. I have tried pure flocks of all of one breed but really have found, I like a mixed flock so that I can tell them apart. Getting different colored eggs is also fun.

Standard chickens that are good to start with, should be easily obtained are Black Astrolorp, Buff Orpington, Easter egger, Leghorn. Hoover offers a green and blue Easer egger. Some people worry that production birds lay too many eggs, and can later have reproductive issues, but I have been pretty lucky.

Being as you are new - do consider the space. Chicks are so tiny that what seems like more than enough space for chicks, rapidly becomes not enough space for adult birds. It is just a rule of thumb, but 4 birds should have a coop of 16 sq feet, and a run of 40 sq feet. Give or take, but pretty close. Overcrowded chickens can cause ugly behaviors.

Do know that being raised together has almost no influence on long term behavior.

Mrs K

 

[BigBird 2025]

Get close to the same size as in either standard chickens or bantam chickens. I have tried pure flocks of all of one breed but really have found, I like a mixed flock so that I can tell them apart. Getting different colored eggs is also fun.

Standard chickens that are good to start with, should be easily obtained are Black Astrolorp, Buff Orpington, Easter egger, Leghorn. Hoover offers a green and blue Easer egger. Some people worry that production birds lay too many eggs, and can later have reproductive issues, but I have been pretty lucky.

Being as you are new - do consider the space. Chicks are so tiny that what seems like more than enough space for chicks, rapidly becomes not enough space for adult birds. It is just a rule of thumb, but 4 birds should have a coop of 16 sq feet, and a run of 40 sq feet. Give or take, but pretty close. Overcrowded chickens can cause ugly behaviors.

Do know that being raised together has almost no influence on long term behavior.

Mrs K

Hello Mrs. K, I have to respond to you first as that is what people called My late Mom at her place of work and the neighborhood. was fun to see you closing salutation.
Thank you for all your advise and the recommendation of breeds, my YouTube research pretty much zeroed in on the ones you recommend. ,y coop will be 4x5 or 20 square feet with space under the coop as part of the run. the main run is 5x16 or 80 giving the girls 100 square feet to play also the max I'm allowed. your last point on being raised together was very informative thanks for it all.

 

[BigBird 2025]

I currently only have five and they are different from each other. They all grew up together and get on just fine.
I don’t have any wildly different one though. So no Polish, Silkies, or game hens. I do have a couple with crests and one with feathered feet but that hasn’t provoked any attacking.
Enjoy your flock!

Thank you for your reply, we were thinking of one polish but worried it might get too picked on but yet still maybe to see how it goes. Thanks.

 

[BigBird 2025]

I have a total mix of hens, lots of colours.
I would recommend different colour eggs if possible so that you know if someone is not laying/laying elsewhere or if her eggs are not up to standard implying there may be a problem.
Have fun

I really like your idea of different colored eggs by species to monitor laying, that will definitelybe a contributing factor toward which girls I will get.

For the most part you can mix and match breeds though it's not recommended to mix really docile breeds, especially ones that look "different" (i.e. Silkies, Polish) with more aggressive ones.

 

[BigBird 2025]

Again thank you all for your great suggestions and knowledge. I'm concerned that if I some how get a rooster as a chick what to do with it. I was told that if I purchase from Palmer feed in Orlando they will take the roosters back but wondering if they can order just one bird of each to make a mix, if not what is my course of action to be able to get just one chick as opposed to say a 3-4 chick minimum of one bird. and if I was to go to say TSS to get chicks do they offer a mix of sexed chicks.