Mixing breeds in the coop..

[Luke13:34]

I am still in the decision process as to what breed we will actually get when I get the final go-ahead from DH to order my chicks. I was thinking one each of Welsummer, Buckeye, Cochin or Orpington, and EE. Will they all get along?

We visited someone locally with backyard chickens and she had two red star, two black sex link, and one uh...i forget. Anyway..the red stars were hanging out together, the black were hanging out together and the other one seemed to be alone with no friend.

Is it better to get all the same breed.. or two and two.. so they can have friends?

 

[patman75]

All my breeds are different. If they grow up together they will all be friends as much as chickens can be.

 

[drdoolittle]

I don't think it matters if you have several different breeds together. Just don't have a bunch of one kind and then only 1 of a different kind.

 

[chics in the sun]

Birds of a feather... just kidding. Your friends' chickens that stuck together probably grew up together. I have three different breeds that were raised together, and they are all friends. I have another of a different breed that I added in later, and she is kind of a loner and hasn't fully been accepted. I know not to do that again. Always get at least two birds that have grown up together - even if they are two different breeds.

 

[The Tinman]

The ones that hang out together were probably hatch buddies. (They were hatched together) I have all the same breed and they split up into samller groups. I have The Chick Click, The Cool Chicks, and The Fat Chicks. The Chic Click are the ones who get to the treats first while the Cool Chicks circle trying to find an opening and the Fat chicks Sit back and wait for everybody to finish and hope there is some left for them.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have a mixed flock and they all get along just fine. They have all been together since they were a couple days old. But it is interesting that our two RIR's and the two BR's will very often be seen together.

 

[bigdaddyabc]

Quote:
Yep, it seems to be (at least in my flock) to be far more based on age or "hatch buddies" than gender or breed. For example, I hatched 13 chicks on June 10 that are 3 different breeds and they hang together. So do the 6 black sex links I got at the auction, so do...well, you get the idea.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

I have over 26 different breeds in one coop.

 

[RidgesideBeauty]

Two mixed flocks here... I keep them in two groups that are in separate bays in the coop/run, and get alternating free-ranging days. I have had no problems.

The only oddball/loner is a Dominique pullet who clearly thinks she is a human, rather than a chicken. Rather than ranging a lot with the rest of her group, she will wait for me by the back door and follow me around burbling to me. Even when I put them up for the night, sometimes she'll stand by me next to the coop door like, "Yeah, you round those chickens up for the night!" "Um, sweetie, you're a chicken too and need to go in for the night too *picks up chicken and places in coop with rest*".