how many breeds should you put in together ? Planning stages

[rwskydive]

I am at the initial stages of planning a coop and breed. I am looking for any help on what breed I shopuld start with and how many breeds can you put together comfortably? Too many and then you have a roo problem, right? any help or advise on starting out in the adventure will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Katy]

Unless you want to hatch purebred chicks it doesn't matter how many breeds you keep together. You need to keep the roo to hen ratio about 1 roo for every 10 hens.

 

[warhorse]

Are you asking which breeds to combine? Some of the flightier breeds may make some of the calmer ones nervous. I am having my "first experience" with leghorns (ideal-whites) and .... definately a difference between them and the marans I am used to. The EE seem like they can swing either way; they are calm with other calm birds, but easily join in when chaos erupts.

 

[Akane]

If your putting all the breeds together there's no point having a roo for each one anyway. All the roos will mate with all the hens. You'll only get purebred chicks if you have only one breed of roo that matches the breed of hen. You can keep all the hens you want with any roo it just depends if you want all pure eggs or not. There is no maximum to a flock and you don't need a certain number of each breed so you could have as many breeds as you do chickens if you wanted to. You just have to make sure you can take care of them all.

 

[JennsPeeps]

We have 6 chickens. Guess how many breeds.... SIX!

We're getting 2 more chicks in April. Guess how many breeds we'll have then: EIGHT!

We've got mostly standards and a couple of bantams.

Hatched April '08:
Banty cochin

Hatched May '08 (all standards):
Black Sex-link
Barred Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red

Hatched March '09:
Buff Orpington
Black Australorp

To be hatched April '09:
Blue Polish
Easter Egger or Australorp or Wyandotte (depending upon what's available from hatchery)

 

[Karlachix]

Here's my experience with the group I received last Spring. The poor Polish was picked on till she died. If I'd been a more experienced chicken owner I might have seen the signs and been able to stop it, but I didn't. I don't think I'll get another one. I was not fond of the Leghorn because it was very flighty and bossy and was the lead feather plucker. I rehomed her with my best friend and the hen seems to be behaving better, perhaps because she's no longer at the top of the pecking order (that's what we were hoping for).

I only have one rooster (White Rock) in the flock.

I love having a diverse flock and just sitting outside watching them scratch around.

Received last Spring:
Barred Rock
White Rocks
Light Brown Leghorn
Silver laced Polish
Buff Orpingtons
Silver and Gold laced Wyandottes
Rhode Island Reds

Coming next month:
Giant Cochins
Easter Eggers

 

[Judy]

http://www.mypetchicken.com/breedQuestions.aspx

Neat little breed selector tool.

 

[rwskydive]

Thanks to everyone this has helped tremendously. My wife hasn't been around chickens and I have a baby boy that will be here in april and I want to start out without a Roo and have chickens that are friendly or calm. Any adivice on favorite breeds? I live in South carolina.
My coop will be 6x20 shed style roof. My run will be 6 x 18. I am very familar with construction and have looked at all the coop designs and have taken may things from them to use in my design.
thanks for all advice

 

[JennsPeeps]

So far, here's my order of preference for friendliness

1. Black Sex-link
2. Barred Plymouth Rock
3. Banty cochin
My RIR is stand-offish

And for eggs:
1. Rhode Island Red
2. Black Sex-link

Impressions of my chicks:
Buff Orpington - a bit sqwauky but is settling down & getting friendlier
Black Australorp - OMG super friendly & sweet, flies from brooder to couch to be with us, loves to snuggle in my robe.

 

[Chicken Woman]

I have 7 breeds and I think my black astrolopes are the sweetest.
With that said i think most breeds can be very tame and like holding but that requires handeling them alot from the very begining.