Mixed flock

[Missyka]

I’ve got two silver laced, two golden laced Wyandotte’s. What other chicken breeds should incorporate to the flock well as Wyandotte’s are known to be bossy with other birds. I dream of silkies but have a feeling it would be a bad choice.
thanks!!

 

[sourland]

Silkies or other crested or smaller birds would probably be a bad choice. Barred rocks or RIR generally can hold their own in mixed flocks.

 

[Doc7]

Are the Wyandotte’s from an expensive specialized breeder?
if from a hatchery, they will likely have similar traits to most major breed hatchery birds, and you can relax about a particular laying breed being more aggressive than another. In particular rhode island reds can be more aggressive and Leghorns are certainly flighty, after that I can’t tell any of many breeds of chickens apart personality wise.

 

[Missyka]

Are the Wyandotte’s from an expensive specialized breeder?
if from a hatchery, they will likely have similar traits to most major breed hatchery birds, and you can relax about a particular laying breed being more aggressive than another. In particular rhode island reds can be more aggressive and Leghorns are certainly flighty, after that I can’t tell any of many breeds of chickens apart personality wise.

Hatchery birds

 

[Doc7]

Hatchery birds

when it comes to hatchery birds, most of them are just “similar looking” to the breed that they are called. Many of them wouldn’t even come close to APA standards of perfection for the breed and probably also have better egg laying breeds bred into their genetic line. I really don’t think you can guess what a SLW disposition will be like based on the breed. My most aggressive bird ever (only aggressive bird ever) was a Delaware, that also pecked people frequently.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals for having chickens? Which breeds match those goals? Start with those breeds.

Personally I'd stay away from chickens with weird-looking feathers or strange things about them like head-dressings. Plenty of people have those types of chickens in their flocks but some report difficulties when trying to add them to an established flock. A lot of this is my personal [reference. I don't want these birds in my flock anyway as they do not fit my goals.

How much room do you have? Only four birds implies that you may have a pretty small coop and small run. How much room you have will have a lot more to do with success than what breeds you get.

I agree about the personalities of hatchery birds. You cannot tell how a bird will behave by breed. There are plenty of posts on here where Wyandotte, RIR's, Silkies, or Buff Orpington are the meanest baddest chicken in the flock but other posts where these same breeds are really sweet and getting beat up by other chickens. If you want to believe in breed determining personality by all means go for it. There are plenty of people on here that really really believe that. It can help you narrow down your choices.

But some of that depends on who you talk to. A few months back I opened a thread talking about how the Barred Rock hens were real brutes. The next thread I opened talked about how the Mean Buff Orpingtons were beating up the sweet Barred Rocks. Which thread you read could determine how you feel about Barred Rocks.

 

[Missyka]

What are your goals for having chickens? Which breeds match those goals? Start with those breeds.

Personally I'd stay away from chickens with weird-looking feathers or strange things about them like head-dressings. Plenty of people have those types of chickens in their flocks but some report difficulties when trying to add them to an established flock. A lot of this is my personal [reference. I don't want these birds in my flock anyway as they do not fit my goals.

How much room do you have? Only four birds implies that you may have a pretty small coop and small run. How much room you have will have a lot more to do with success than what breeds you get.

I agree about the personalities of hatchery birds. You cannot tell how a bird will behave by breed. There are plenty of posts on here where Wyandotte, RIR's, Silkies, or Buff Orpington are the meanest baddest chicken in the flock but other posts where these same breeds are really sweet and getting beat up by other chickens. If you want to believe in breed determining personality by all means go for it. There are plenty of people on here that really really believe that. It can help you narrow down your choices.

But some of that depends on who you talk to. A few months back I opened a thread talking about how the Barred Rock hens were real brutes. The next thread I opened talked about how the Mean Buff Orpingtons were beating up the sweet Barred Rocks. Which thread you read could determine how you feel about Barred Rocks.

Mine are all about 10 weeks old. I’ve got a 8x6 tuff shed as a coop with a 12x 8 run.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Much more room than I anticipated. Makes integration easier.

 

[aart]

Mine are all about 10 weeks old. I’ve got a 8x6 tuff shed as a coop with a 12x 8 run.

That's great space for 4 birds!
Integration works best with extra space and can be tricky.
Depending on how your coop and run is set up and your climate.

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[aart]

Oh, and.... Welcome to BYC! @Missyka
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!