To Mix or Not to Mix

[Three Stents]

I plan on getting 4 hens in 2 weeks, Does it matter if I get all the same breed or not? The hens I get will be pet friendly and egg layers.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Mix away! Do a little research and pick breeds with similar temperaments and you should be ok. If you have any questions, the BYC community is a font of knowledge and can give you their personal experiences.

I've always had mixed flocks and never really had a problem. Right now my in town flock is an Easter egger, an olive egger, a rhode island red, a wyandotte, a hatchery specific easter egger (sapphire jewel, only sold by Meyer) and another hatchery specific hybrid with a crest (Meyer's cookies and cream). They all get along just fine. (I do have a feather picker, but I haven't been able to figure out who because I never see anything other than the normal occasional pecking order spats)

 

[Bsmac]

We have a mixed flock they get along pretty well! I would not have a problem keeping a mixed breed flock! But I would try to keep docile non aggressive birds!

 

[FunClucks]

The only guidance I'd have, is pick either large fowl or bantam. Don't try and mix sizes. Even the size difference between large fowl white leghorn (maybe 4 lbs full grown) and some cochins or larger large breed birds (e.g. ISA Brown, 7-8 lbs hen) can present an issue if some of them have mean temperaments. The closest they are in size the better. Some folks have issues with crested birds mixed with uncrested, others don't have an issue.

I had some hatchery easter egger mixes (Prairie bluebells) where my smallest (around 4-5 lbs) were getting picked on by the larger ISA browns. I had to rehome all but one of the ISA browns for bad temperament/feather picking after trying lots of things that didn't work. It ticked me off because they were some of my best egg layers, but they were stressing everyone out. My smallest Prairie bluebell, Chipmunk, maybe 4 lbs or slightly under, was always the victim. I put her in with a new flock of babies, and suddenly she was head hen. She got so much happier her eggs were 30% bigger. (unrestricted access to feed, largest one in the coop) It matters. She was my favorite chicken, so I kept a very close eye on her.

 

[saysfaa]

Mostly, it doesn't matter. Sometimes it does.

It is more likely to matter if their coop and/or run space is smaller.

Other things that make it more likely to matter:

a breed that looks very different than the others (polish, for example, or bantam, or white when all the others don't have top hats, or are large, or are red),

a breed that is much more docile than the others,

a breed that is much slower than the others (an orpington when the rest are Old English Game and/or Mediterranean for example)

Such differences aren't guaranteed to not work well but are just more likely to not work well. And they matter less if it isn't just one hen that is very different (red, white, black, and buff is less likely to be problematic than one buff with three black).

I liked my three black australorps and two brown leghorns. But one of the leghorns was so quick and so active, she stressed the others. She didn't bully them but they clearly relaxed after I gave her to my friends. The other brown leghorns was nearly as quick but she wasn't zipping around all the time. It did leave one of a different color, but by then, she was the leader so it didn't matter.

 

[FunClucks]

Also, sometimes you don't know about individual birds' temperament until you get them home. You just do the best you can. Breed generalizations are nice, but not always accurate for the individual birds you actually obtain. Good luck!!!

 

[Bsmac]

The only guidance I'd have, is pick either large fowl or bantam. Don't try and mix sizes. Even the size difference between large fowl white leghorn (maybe 4 lbs full grown) and some cochins or larger large breed birds (e.g. ISA Brown, 7-8 lbs hen) can present an issue if some of them have mean temperaments. The closest they are in size the better. Some folks have issues with crested birds mixed with uncrested, others don't have an issue.

I had some hatchery easter egger mixes (Prairie bluebells) where my smallest (around 4-5 lbs) were getting picked on by the larger ISA browns. I had to rehome all but one of the ISA browns for bad temperament/feather picking after trying lots of things that didn't work. It ticked me off because they were some of my best egg layers, but they were stressing everyone out. My smallest Prairie bluebell, Chipmunk, maybe 4 lbs or slightly under, was always the victim. I put her in with a new flock of babies, and suddenly she was head hen. She got so much happier her eggs were 30% bigger. (unrestricted access to feed, largest one in the coop) It matters. She was my favorite chicken, so I kept a very close eye on her.

ISA browns are ornery birds! Nice to humans, not so much to other breeds and even other ISA browns!

 

[Bsmac]

Also, sometimes you don't know about individual birds' temperament until you get them home. You just do the best you can. Breed generalizations are nice, but not always accurate for the individual birds you actually obtain. Good luck!!!

Absolutely true!

 

[Three Stents]

All great info....here is the list that was put together by 4 breeders. From this list, I'm interested in Speckled Sussex and Black Copper Marans, Amerucana, but not set in stone. Was hoping for an Orpington,

 

[NatJ]

All great info....here is the list that was put together by 4 breeders. From this list, I'm interested in Speckled Sussex and Black Copper Marans, Amerucana. Was hoping for an Orpington,

You could get two each of the Sussex and Marans.
I don't see Orpingtons on the list, but yes an Orpington has a good chance of getting along with Sussex and Marans.
I think Ameraucanas could also work well with them, if you want another egg color.

I would probably avoid the Silkies for a mixed flock (more likely to get bullied). They are more likely to be happy in a Silkie-only flock. (No guarantees either way, just a matter of "more likely" or "less likely.")