Question about mixed flock

[happymom99]

Hello. I am very excited to get chickens and I am zoned for 5 hens. I would like to get 4 standard hens(2 EE and 2 other breeds but I am not sure which yet... maybe Wyandotte and Mille Fleur) and one silkie bantam. Is this going to pose any sort of problem for the silkie since she is smaller and will be the only bantam? Is it true that "birds of a feather flock together"?

Thank you,
CJ

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

If you are going to get a bantam, especially a Silkie, I would highly suggest 2 so that they can buddy up. Silkies tend to get picked on by other breeds, and I would not put them alone with large fowl.

Also, "mille fleur" is a color variety, not a breed, and is seldom seen in large fowl - what type of birds are you looking for??

 

[happymom99]

Oh wow. Thank you so much for telling me about the silkie possibly being picked on. I don’t want that. As far as getting her a buddy, do I need to get a second silkie or can I just get another bantam?

Thanks for clearing me up on the whole “mille fleur” thing. I believe what I was looking at was a Mille Fleur D’uccle. I’ve since learned that it is a bantam.

You asked what type of birds I am looking for. My hopes are…

They are going to be our pets and I have children so it would be great if they are gentle and hopefully even friendly and personable.

I would like a colorful egg carton, hopefully with blue, brown and white or cream eggs.

I would like two EE because I read that while most lay a blue or blue-green egg, some don’t so I want a second one as “back-up” in case I don’t get a blue egg. Since I can only have 5 hens I’d really like them all to be different from one another but I’m willing to give that up for a better chance at having the blue egg so therefore, two EE.

I would like birds that have pretty and/or unique coloring or fluffy feathers or other “pretty” features – from the bit that I’ve been looking around, so far I think I really like the laced Wyandottes, the Sebrights, Brahmas, Orpingtons, Silkie, Mille Fleur D’uccle and Polish.

Thanks so much for any input!

CJ

 

[gryeyes]

Sebrights are also bantams, true bantam breed, not bred down from large fowl breeds. They lay a nice, very small, white or very light cream colored egg. They're a little flighty, but very sweet girls. (The roosters are cocky little fellows.... More so than other roos, if my experience is anything to go on.)

EEs are great, because you can have any number of them and they'll all look different; they are crossbreeds and can therefore look very unlike another EE in your flock. Wyandottes are nice, big, fluffy ladies, as are any of the Orpintons. Black Australorps are wonderful, and the breed is a version of Orpington (hence the "orp" in the name).

Polish are just silly looking, and I believe they're a bantam breed, too.

Brahmas are delightful, but they're big birds. I love 'em.

Whatever you decide, welcome to the wonderful world of chickens - and BYC!

 

[bgelber]

AS far as a silkie being picked on. I have one silkie ( did have two but one drown ), the other chickens and even the ducks are scared of Mary

I am though currently looking for at least two more silkie pullets, but they are so hard to find.

BTW: happymom99-good luck with your flock whatever you get. I love my mixed flock.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
I vote for the Wyandottes, I had 2 gold laced and a silver laced and a blue one, also now you can get blue laced red from a few of the hatcheries, and could also possibly find those on craigslist. They are BEAUTIFUL!! If you went with 2 EEs and 2 Wyandottes, I would guess that your bantams getting picked on would be somewhat minimized. EXCEPT for Polish, other birds are very attracted to their crest, and I had to rehome the one I had with my original mixed flock because the other birds were relentless with her crest, and by the time I realized there was a problem (a matter of a couple of hours) she had a big featherless bloody spot on the back of her head. She was a large fowl, and STILL picked on relentlessly, even the large fowl Polish are not nearly as large as other breeds, and due to their crest tend to be very flighty. I did have a pair of d'Uccles in with my mixed flock of large fowl, and they could intermingle but were always on alert, and I made sure there were places they could hide where the big girls couldn't "get them". Brahmas are pretty and friendly, but HUGE and the egg size (to me anyway) doesn't quite compensate for the amount of feed a bird that size eats. The Orps are way up there on the pretty scale too! Someday when I have room for a mixed flock of layers again, it will consist of Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and EEs!

 

[Alas]

My silkie hen gets along fine with my 8 Americaunas. We got them at the same time as chicks so that may have some effect. When we added a silkie rooster he got picked on a bit by the Americauna rooster for the first few days. It was mostly just him being chased a bit and not allowed on the higher roosting rungs in the coop.

 

[new chick 203]

We have a mixed flock of 2 EEs, a BLRW and one bantam cochin. Strangely, the banty isn't the bottom of the pecking order, the EEs are. I think a mixed flock is great, and if you get them all at the same time and give them enough space it cuts down on any pecking order ugliness. (I have heard people say that you don't want just one polish, that they will get picked on.) Good luck!

 

[Lisa202]

I have 4 EE's, 4 brahmas, 1 cochin and 1 seabright. All bantams. The EE's are my friendliest, they all look completely different and lay pretty eggs (2 blue-1 green-1 tan)

My black cochin is also a sweetie and adorable, she looks like a little Charlie Chaplin when she walks. The brahmas are nice, just not as approachable as the others (they are all 24 weeks, so maybe they will be friendlier as they mature). The seabright is the only one not laying and I read that they are poor layers, but she is a sweet little thing too, and the first one to come for food.

I'm getting some silkies soon...I hear they are very friendly

I'm only allowed to have 8 chickens and no roosters. Right now I have 9 girls, 1 boy, a brooder on 3 eggs and 5 silkies on the way.

Oopsy

 

[happymom99]

Quote:
You gave me a giggle with this one.

If only our city's Code Compliance Dept., and my husband for that matter, could understand "chicken math".