Help! Beginner seeking advice on breeds for first mixed flock!

[rosemarythyme]

Another vote for staggering the flock. I built for 12 and have only hit 12 once. I get a few chicks every 2 to 3 years and it keeps the eggs coming and keeps the flock an interesting mix of all sorts of colors and appearances.

I currently have 3 Marans in my flock and they are more dominant birds, but they haven't caused too much of an issue with the more docile/"different" birds (I have a Crevecouer and a SF in with them). Space is key and it sounds like you have enough to comfortably have a dozen birds total (I'm including the expanded run space) including integration of new chicks at a later time.

Also personally I'd axe the bantams unless you are able to build a bantam only area IF the standard breeds give them grief.

 

[Sally PB]

Hoping to avoid extra heat in the winter if I can.

I have about the same highs and lows as you do, but I think my air might be more humid in the winter.

I do not have any supplemental heat in the coop. I do have a heated dog bowl as the waterer to keep the water liquid in the cold months.

 

[saysfaa]

If I were in your shoes (including the goals given here), I would consider:
1 Buff orp
and
1 Black australorp
because they are givens and because of some of the reasons they are givens.

2 Cream legbar
because they have small tophats - to help with acceptance of tophatted breeds that may come in the future, and they are expected to be much more active than the orps so you can get an idea if you like that and because the plan is to have more later so this time of less densely populated space gives a better chance of them working well in the flock. Two because the tophat is more different than just colors or than muffs or than naked necks

4 whiting trues (either blue or green but maybe green because the cream legbars lay blue). For the same reasons as the legbars except possible muffs instead of tophats - might still help with differently feathered heads. Plus, they come in a variety of colors.

That gives you 8 so makes room for more chickens later for the reasons given by the others.

I know the 4 whitings don't fit the plan very well but I was suprised by how much difference there was in personality in hens of the same breed. I had heard it but it was very valuable to see it. Seeing it in at least one breed may help get your ideal flock in the long run.

Tiptoeing to this next point - you may find that one or two of these four fit very well in your flock (or don't fit well at all) and can downsize their numbers to end up with a more peaceful flock when you have the 1-3 of these you want which also makes more room to try other breeds. I picked on this breed for that purpose because there isn't enough space to do it with all the breeds and this one is variable in appearance.