Colorado

[dennarahl]

Holy cow everyone! Thanks for the replies and info about chick availability! I feel a bit more confident now that I'll be able to find the breeds I want locally without having to stress the chicks with delivery.

I have a coworker who seems to have a lot of her own beliefs about chickens and gardens and the like. Since I'm new to the whole thing I've been listening pretty closely to what she was saying. However, recently I've come across a ton of resources that refute what she tells me and, honestly, what she was telling me often just didn't ring true. So I've got a question for you! Can I get an incredibly mixed flock (1 bird of 5 or 6 breeds) and not have them picking on each other? My coworker had 5 or 6 birds and 2 were a different breed and she thinks those 2 died because the flock saw them as different and ostracized them or killed them.... or something. I'll be perfectly happy with two breeds or a bunch, I just want a second (or fifth) opinion! Thanks again.

Definitely you can. I have 20 birds living together peacefully that are 8 different breeds. There are 8 of one type, 4 pairs and the rest are singles. In the garage where all my meaties and babies are, there are 5 different pure breeds, and 6 mix breeds. I honestly have no idea how many are in there right now since we've slaughtered some of the meaties. The bigger issue with a mixed flock is mixing ages. If the older ones are old enough they'll pick on the littler ones, possibly killing them.

 

[ShysCreations]

A mixed breed flock is ok especially laid back breeds (Orphington, Brahmas, Ameracauna, Wyandotte, Cochin, Sussex) The gamey agressive breeds like Shamos can't be housed together. Size would be an issue if putting something like Seramas with Wyandottes or D'Anvers with Brahmas. And then there's always a chance of getting an unusually agressive bird even in the layer breeds.
Its riskier to introduce young birds to adults, as adults will likely kill or haze the youngsters badly. I've had silkies, bantam cochins, ameracaunas, wyandottes, marans& sussex housed together doing fine. Though I think a large Wyandotte did hurt the leg of a small cochin pullet (put her in with the older ones TOOOOO early)
Its snowing here. Though did take a photo yesterday....can you find the cochin?

 

[gardendufus]

I also have a variety of breed........Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Welsummers, Wendell's Dominiques, and an Easter Egger. At one time I also had a Gold Laced Wyandotte. They all get along with the exception of the GLW, which I rehomed because she was a bully.

From my experience, there are probably several reasons why some birds don't get along.

1. Overcrowding
2. Different ages, it can sometimes be hard to bring in new birds to an established flock. This was my problem with the GLW. She was the youngest and was low girl on the totem pole. Then I brought in some new girls, and it was like she realized she finally had someone she could bully around. And she did. Til I got rid of her.
3. Birds have personalities of their own, along with the breed personalities. Some breeds are just naturally more aggressive (do your research). Even with all the same breed birds, sometimes one will be a bully.

 

[marlo1968]

Holy cow everyone! Thanks for the replies and info about chick availability! I feel a bit more confident now that I'll be able to find the breeds I want locally without having to stress the chicks with delivery.

I have a coworker who seems to have a lot of her own beliefs about chickens and gardens and the like. Since I'm new to the whole thing I've been listening pretty closely to what she was saying. However, recently I've come across a ton of resources that refute what she tells me and, honestly, what she was telling me often just didn't ring true. So I've got a question for you! Can I get an incredibly mixed flock (1 bird of 5 or 6 breeds) and not have them picking on each other? My coworker had 5 or 6 birds and 2 were a different breed and she thinks those 2 died because the flock saw them as different and ostracized them or killed them.... or something. I'll be perfectly happy with two breeds or a bunch, I just want a second (or fifth) opinion! Thanks again.

If you get them all prior to 1-2 weeks of age you should have no probems, when they are very young they are more accepting, I raised 5 bantam brahmas with 4 Silver laced Wayndottes. The Brahmas were almost 2 weeks old by the time I got the Wyandottes which were a week old, they still stick together at 26 weeks, even though the SLW's far out size the brahmas.

 

[jgurshtein]

Ok, that was going to be my next question! Can I get chicks from a supplier during week 1 and then get day old chicks from the same supplier (but a different breed) during week 2 or 3 or... how long can I wait to mix chicks? At what age is there a big enough size difference (among like sized breeds) that the older ones will pick on the younger ones?

 

[ONSTAD1]

that time of year...

Small fire off Highway 83 under control

A chicken coop and a barn were destroyed in an early morning fire on Highway 83 near Highway 105 Friday morning.

Read more: http://krdo.m0bl.net/r/1abymz

 

[Pozees]

that time of year...

Small fire off Highway 83 under control

A chicken coop and a barn were destroyed in an early morning fire on Highway 83 near Highway 105 Friday morning.

Read more: http://krdo.m0bl.net/r/1abymz

How sad:
"Firefighters said they think it may have started because of a heat lamp that was being used to keep the chickens warm."

 

[wsmith]

How sad:
"Firefighters said they think it may have started because of a heat lamp that was being used to keep the chickens warm."

Do we know if the chickens got out OK?

Even with all this cold wind at my place, my silly birds are out scratching and looking for things to eat. Inside the coop it is nice and warm too.

 

[Pozees]

Do we know if the chickens got out OK?

Even with all this cold wind at my place, my silly birds are out scratching and looking for things to eat. Inside the coop it is nice and warm too.

The news piece said two chickens died

Mine are all out too, and good thing, the wind shifted my run and tipped a coop over. Had a huge gust, had to have been close to 60 mph. Moved a little metal trailer with fence pickets in it a few feet, blew some other pickets around, very mean wind. I guess once we get the new coop set up in the run (was supposed to have happened today until the weather got so nasty) we now have an immediate next project - anchoring the run.

 

[Pozees]

A mixed breed flock is ok especially laid back breeds (Orphington, Brahmas, Ameracauna, Wyandotte, Cochin, Sussex) The gamey agressive breeds like Shamos can't be housed together. Size would be an issue if putting something like Seramas with Wyandottes or D'Anvers with Brahmas. And then there's always a chance of getting an unusually agressive bird even in the layer breeds.
Its riskier to introduce young birds to adults, as adults will likely kill or haze the youngsters badly. I've had silkies, bantam cochins, ameracaunas, wyandottes, marans& sussex housed together doing fine. Though I think a large Wyandotte did hurt the leg of a small cochin pullet (put her in with the older ones TOOOOO early)
Its snowing here. Though did take a photo yesterday....can you find the cochin?

You should make that into a jigsaw puzzle! Very pretty bird