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.

 

[Mrs. K]

Hey, I am in western South Dakota too! So hello neighbor!

I do not have electricity in my coop, but I do have good ventilation, and I have never added heat. I don't have heated water bowls, just take water down each morning, put it in black rubber bowls.

Mrs K

 

[Iluveggers]

I also think you should start with less than you can fit. Reason being…you WILL want more, so leave room for the next urge!

With breed, I have been hellbent on a few that I was super excited about, only to find they didn’t meet my expectations for what I thought I was getting. My Faverolles would freak and not let me get near her. My Brahma was not friendly. My Leghorns (a notoriously flighty breed), think I am their mother and jump on me for cuddles. I added them just because I REALLY wanted white eggs, and they are two of my favorites now! My first Barred Rock was my baby and followed me everywhere. I added two more and they can’t be bothered with me.

What I have started doing recently is ordering double of what I want, and selling the extras on Craigslist or Facebook for the cost of what I paid. I also have a family member that orders with me sometimes and lets me pick mine out before giving hers to her. I give myself a week to interact and choose which half I am keeping. I prefer friendly chickens I am able to handle as I REALLY don’t like having to chase a hen that might need treatment or to be checked for something, don’t like when they run away from me like I am attacking them, and I love sitting outside and having a surprise guest sit on my lap. Any flighty/scared chicks are sold/given to my family member. I keep the ones that are the most personable.

Also, broody chickens have been a problem for me, well, one specific broody chicken. She broods every 6-8 weeks without fail, is NOT a good mom, and takes forever to break. I now try to avoid broody breeds for the most part. (My son and husband each pick one breed to add each time we get new chicks, they sometimes pick a breed known to be broody).

I like a mixed flock, in both breeds and feather & egg colors, and rarely have more than one hen of the same breed at the same time. I have avoided Polish for this reason, although I may add a smaller second coop & run in the future for some top hat friends. My single Legbars, Naked Necks, Easter Eggers, and Faverolles have not had a problem for “looking different”. I do have a group of blue/black chickens who are different ages yet have become best friends, so I do think birds of the same color feathers may naturally bond together more.

Everyone has a different experience, so I think it is smart to ask questions and think! Starting smaller gives you room to add more once you know for sure what you like & don’t like. What you think your goal is now may change once you get your feet wet! Good luck and have fun!

 

[WunnySharbit]

I agree that personality and behavior are more important than breed. Starting small promotes quicker pecking order establishment and makes it easier to keep an eye on everyone to watch for sickness, injury, bullying, etc.

For example, I usually have no problem with "americanas," but this year's chix OMG. Spazz and Spazzette went bye-bye with the rooster ("if you take the rooster, I'll throw in 2 of his ladies"). I have stopped worrying about breeds, egg color, size (but absolutely NO bantams! =Cat/coon food!), etc. I select for easy-going, friendly-ish, healthy, winter-hardy consistent egg-laying hens who will come when I call and will STAY IN MY YARD! (A few years ago I almost got sued by my neighbor when my Ancona flew into their yard and beat up his pitbull! Would have loved to have kept such a feisty, protective little girl but couldn't)

After 20+ years and lots and lots of trials and errors, I figure managing a mixed flock is more about working with your girls than picking what's cool and dealing with the fallout.

 

[Muffett]

Brand new chicken keeper very excited to get her first chickens! I’m looking to shave 2-5 hens out of the flock listed below, taking it from 17 to 12-15. I could really use some experienced advice about who to cut. A bit more context:

My dream is to have a mixed flock of about 1 to 3 hens each of a large variety of breeds. I know this makes it even more important that I pick the right breeds and number of hens for the space. But it also sounds very possible as long as I take care to match temperaments, size, and maybe double up on any particularly unique hens. I’ve tried to narrow it down to easy going hens (minus the maran) of standard size (minus the d’uccles and maybe the orp). Here is the current plan:
Salmon Faverolles x 2
Mottled Houdan x 2
Naked neck x 2
Buff Orp x 1
Cream leg bar x 1
Black astralorp x 1
Whiting true blue x 1
Whiting true green x 1
Well summer x 1
French black copper maran x 1
Belgian d’uccle x 2-4

How many bantams should I put in this flock? Are 2 d’uccles enough or should I definitely have 4?
I’ve heard faverolles do better if they have a buddy so put two on the list. Can I get away with one because she’s likely to be as comfortable with some of the other gentle ladies on the list as she is with another faverolles?
Am I correct about thinking 2 naked necks and 2 houdans is a must since they’re so different looking than the other ladies?
If I do need to keep all the above duplicates, then I need to remove a breed. But which one? The maran because she might bully these otherwise chill ladies? One of the other relatively standard and easygoing breeds because they’ll be easy to integrate later? (But which one of those sweeties to drop??)

Would love your thoughts on how to shave this flock of 17 down to 12-15! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this lengthy post!!

We prefer blue Plymouth Rock. Great layers, friendly, and beautiful!