I started my first flock this spring with 8 chicks, each one a different breed. I have three bantams, and 5 standard breeds. I have 6 hens and 2 roosters. Each breed has its own set of normal behaviors from the books I've read (like my cochin went broody after only laying 2 dozen eggs, and my brown leghorn is true to her breed's flighty nature, but her "sister" white leghorn is the friendliest bird in our flock. My RIR, buff orpington and black australorp can be counted on almost daily for eggs since they began laying, and they are all three friendly and easy to catch. The roosters are friendly and easy to catch too, and are the most entertaining).
Not only is each bird easier to identify because they are all different, but they each lay different color, size and shaped eggs, so we can track who's being productive, and who might be laying outside the nest box. Since we got them all at the same time, they've grown up knowing this as their flock, and we have only had the usual pecking order scuffles, and of course, the adjustments as the cockerels began to mature. I love having all different breeds. For a beginner, it's been the best experience.
