I bought several chicks starting a flock and didnt do my research very well before i bought and might have made a mistake. I bought 5 rhode island reds, 5 barred rock, 5 black sex link, 3 amber link and 2 white leghorn. After reading up on it is this going to be a bad flock because if i read right the barred rock will get picked on pretty bad. Also i would love to buy 5 buff orpington to finish out my flock but i believe they will get picked on also. Can anyone tell me if i have made a mistake?
Hello and Welcome To BYC! Hatchery RIR are sometimes bullys in a mixed flock, the rest of them should get along OK, Orps should be fine with the others also, the Leghorns will probably be more reactive than the others but usually aren't bullys.
Welcome to Backyard chickens. If all your birds came at the same time /same age and grow up together they should get along fairly well. Your sex links should be girls but your other breeds may end up cockerels - THAT could cause fighting - too many boys and not enough girls. A rooster can handle 10 hens. Any less and the hens get overbred and damaged. So if you end up having several roosters - you would need many more hens, or rehome the extra roosters.
Thanks for the info! I did buy them all at the same time and they are all supposed to be pullets but I haven't got the Orpington's yet because they won't be in the store for another 2 to 3 weeks. Will that be too much of an age difference to put them in with the others? The older ones would be around a month or more older than the Orpington's.
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help. I've always known RIRs to be aggressive too. You'll need to rehome some roosters or get more hens.
Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us. You didn't neccesarily make a mistake. Some Rhode Island Reds are aggressive and some Buff Orpingtons get picked on, but not every Rhode Island Red will be dominating and not every Buff Orpington will be submissive. A lot depends on the individual bird. Your breeds could very well get along just fine. I've kept a small flock consisting of two large fowl Wyandottes, an Easter Egger, and a Rhode Island Red, and haven't experienced any problems. Mixing breeds often works out fine. Just watch your birds as they grow. If it seems like some are going to be aggressive, you may have to sell them. But, they might work out great together, and you'll have a lovely mixed flock! Good luck with your chicks!
What are your thoughts on adding in a few buff Orpington's when they get to the store? The others in the flock will be a month older. Will that be a no no to do?
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to our flock. You didn't necessarily make a mistake. Sometimes RIRs are aggressive (I've had some that way), but not all of them are. White Leghorns tend to be high strung and flighty. Make sure that you give them plenty of space. Overcrowding can quickly lead to aggression, fights, biting and feather plucking, and even cannibalism. Also, I wouldn't advise keeping more than one rooster with your mix (RIR roosters can particularly be aggressive, Barred Rock and Buff Orpington roosters generally tend to be pretty calm and gentle as roosters go). Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
Personally I would be concerned about getting 2-3 day old chicks and placing them with 4 week old flock no matter what breed you select. But you could consider dividing the brooder so they can see each other and not mix until older? I was worried about BO being bullied by BR's so got 3 of each. Funny that one BO is the second in the pecking order and one BR is at the bottom. No matter what the breed characteristics are listed, each chicken is a unique personality and IMO can be happy in a mixed flock. Consider posting the age difference under the forum on raising baby chicks to get more opinions. There's a great difference in size and development in a month.