So, we are going to get a couple chicks soon, and our local feed & seed store has Barnevelders, and Barred Rocks soon, which kind should I get?

[ameliathedominant]

the rooster might be a problem... does he have a fav hen?

 

[-ChickenLover-]

Chicks two or more weeks apart in age can be challenging to blend, so do consider that. what else will they have at the same time? It's nice to have a mixed breed flock, but it's also good to raise the chicks as one group.
Mary

So on Feb 12 they also have white leghorns, golden laced wyandottes, and assorted long tails . (Barred Rocks) On Feb 26 they also have olive eggers, RIRs, and buff orphingtons. (Barnevelders) April 23: more assorted long tails, and speckled sussexes and straight run blue laced red wyandotte bantams (barred rock) July 9: naked necks. (barnevelders)

 

[-ChickenLover-]

the rooster might be a problem... does he have a fav hen?

Oh, we had to give him away, sadly, because our neighbors would get annoyed at his crowing. So far we've only had two roosters, because some of the chicks we've gotten have been SR.

 

[-ChickenLover-]

It's best to get your chicks all at once, even if you have to get all the same breed. Integration of difference ages can be a pain.

Yep, however, after some fight happened and a bunch of our chickens got killed, our current two chickens are different ages, (RIR and White Leghorn, the RIR is the younger of the two, and very sweet) and they seem to have mostly integrated together well.

 

[Folly's place]

Your location matters too; really cold, or really hot climate?
My personal choice, given the three groups, would be Feb. 26th; Olive Eggers, Barnevelders, and Orphingtons.
Mary

 

[ameliathedominant]

well the rir could be a good mother to them and if you could get her to accept them as her babies then they might get along better

 

[-ChickenLover-]

Your location matters too; really cold, or really hot climate?
My personal choice, given the three groups, would be Feb. 26th; Olive Eggers, Barnevelders, and Orphingtons.
Mary

Right now it's 60-70 degrees, its usually hotter though, like from 80-95.

 

[-ChickenLover-]

well the rir could be a good mother to them and if you could get her to accept them as her babies then they might get along better

That would probably be adorable-

 

[Folly's place]

A hen not broody might also kill chicks, or at least make their lives very difficult!
Mary

 

[3KillerBs]

Chicks two or more weeks apart in age can be challenging to blend, so do consider that. what else will they have at the same time? It's nice to have a mixed breed flock, but it's also good to raise the chicks as one group.
Mary

I got Light Brahmas that were two weeks old the same day I bought my 3-day-old Australorps, Wyandottes, and California Whites.

I was a little concerned about the situation but quickly found that my little chicks would huddle under their "big sisters" and that the smallest chicks, the California Whites, would shove the big girls out of the way if they wanted to get to the feeder.

After a couple weeks the faster-developing breeds grew even with the Brahmas and after a month had actually surpassed them in development.

BUT, these were chicks newly purchased from the feed store on the same day so that they were all strangers, not a few chicks introduced into an established group.