Is it best to stay with 1 breed

[Acre of Blessings]

I have just purchased 12 RIR chicks and I am definately going to order more. But I am wondering if anyone just sticks to one breed.
I think this is better, that way there is no crossbreeding, like in cats and dogs, I like to see the pictures of the farm yard with all the different breeds but I also have read alot of post with people asking, "What kind of chick is this" and I don't want to do that.

Am I wrong for thinking this way? Should I mix some breeds together? Advice needed.
For I am at a wall on this.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

If it is what makes you happy, how could it be "wrong"? They are YOUR chickens, you need what you want.

 

[speedabug]

I personally would get different breeds. Mine are just pet chickens though I dont show mine. I have about four different breeds and they are so wonderful.

 

[@migocontodos~]

It only matters if you stick to one breed if you are planning on selling pure bred chicken eggs.
If you are looking for "eye candy" and eggs to eat...then mix and match all you want!
The more colors the prettier the flock!
Mutts rule!
Enjoy your chickens!

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

We have many breeds. Each person in our family has their own breed that they work with. When we breed we have several pens to keep the breeds and varieties seperated, and when we do a breeding in the main yard, we only have 1 roo at a time, like right now we are making black stars. We have the RIR roo with all the hens, but are only hatching the eggs from the barred rock, we know the others will be crossbreeds. There is nothing wrong with having a mixed flock, how do you think that people came up with new breeds?

 

[Acre of Blessings]

So then, What would you call a RIR mixed with a Golden Red? Just curious cause I'm thinking about getting a dozen of those.

 

[speckledhen]

Never heard of a Golden Red-is it a sexlink? If so, you'd just have a mutt since sexlinks are already hybrids.

 

[coopist]

The Rhode Island Red is a nice all-purpose heritage breed. Very attractive birds, and some strains are nice-tempered too. If you wanted a pure breed, that's certainly a good one.

The benefits of keeping your stock pure are generally: 1) The birds are worth more if you want to sell them or their offspring or eggs. 2) If you are interested in preserving or showing a breed, you can take pride in your work along those lines, knowing that you're preserving something that many before you worked to perfect and keep up. 3) If you ever do decide to cross with another breed, you'll be able to produce 1st generation hybrids, which are well known for being vigorous and healthy. 4) You're probably less apt to have issues like bullying and feather-picking which tend to crop up more when you have a mixed flock.

The benefits of mixing stock are generally: 1) You don't have to worry about keeping breeds separate, or worrying about the breed standards, and 2) can enjoy the many different colors, personalities, etc.

It depends on what you want from your birds. As far as production goes, a good strain of RIR can usually keep pace reasonably well with a sex-link.

 

[RebelsHope]

Chickens people have a different culture than the dog set. Although it is very acceptable to have a mutt, many in the dog fancy will look down on others for breed a mixed breed. That is very much a dog thing though.

As many have already said there are reason to have a pure flock but there are reasons not too. My chickens are for eggs. I am going to get some meat chicks to raise but they won't last long, and will be hybrids because many chickens raised for me are. Most of my chickens' eggs will be eaten so it really does not matter that their egg are mutt eggs. I do plan to hatch some out just for practice. Cockerels will be raise for meat and the pullet will join my flock for eggs. I do want to get a heritage breed and some marans, I just have decided which ones. They are all so pretty! Those I might try to keep separate and pure.

 

[donnap1967]

Can you keep standards and bantams together?