Mixing Smaller and Larger Breeds??? Yes or no?

[ChickyCh00k]

Do you think so?

When I check on my current girls at night they are all huddled up together in the corner and honestly don't even take up a quarter of the space in there. And seeing as the door opens on a daylight sensor they don't spend any daylight time locked in so I was thinking it's be fine to add a couple more.

Currently have 2 nest boxes for my 6 so was thinking adding just one more would be wise

How old are the 6 you currently have? The huddling behavior may not last. Typical recommendation is 1 linear foot of roost space/ standard size chicken. Stuffing 10 (even if some are bantams) in an Omlet seems like a recipe for disaster, especially when you're ADDING to the flock, which is already stressful. Do you have a plan for integration? Where will the new birds stay while the two groups are getting used to each other?

 

[SueT]

I misunderstood what you meant by mixing sizes. I assumed you meant cross breeding, I now see you meant just living together. If they grow up together, they are fine, if not, it will be a challenge no matter what sizes.
What you think is plenty enough room and what the chickens will think about fitting in newcomers are probably very different. They may now be one big happy family that huddles together, but they will not welcome any strangers. I have never heard of any chickens that did.

 

[ED1995]

How old are the 6 you currently have? The huddling behavior may not last. Typical recommendation is 1 linear foot of roost space/ standard size chicken. Stuffing 10 (even if some are bantams) in an Omlet seems like a recipe for disaster, especially when you're ADDING to the flock, which is already stressful. Do you have a plan for integration? Where will the new birds stay while the two groups are getting used to each other?

Current girls are around a year old.

Last time I intergrated 2 flocks together when I had rescues a few years back I split the run using heras fencing and used a large dog crate covered with a tarp and a roost bar fitted as a make shift coop for the newbies to allow a few days of seeing eachother before they properly mixed and they got taken into the flock with no issues. That's always worked ok for sick chickens to be reintergrated also. But have never added a different sized breed which was why I was asking.

I'd always put the welfare of any chickens first and if required I would buy an extra coop for space - however the general feedback I have had from friends who have large flocks and multiple coops is that their chickens all tend to take themselves into the same one regardless. So was going to see how they all got on with the Cube and extra nest boxes and if I felt it was needed order a second coop.

 

[Tookie]

Do you think so?

In my opinion, I think it's not enough space.
A good rule of thumb is about 4sq ft per chicken in the coop.

When I check on my current girls at night they are all huddled up together in the corner and honestly don't even take up a quarter of the space in there. And seeing as the door opens on a daylight sensor they don't spend any daylight time locked in so I was thinking it's be fine to add a couple more.

So they don't perch?

Currently have 2 nest boxes for my 6 so was thinking adding just one more would be wise

One more would be good to add.