Your thoughts on mixing flocks

WalnutTree

Songster
Jun 26, 2020
229
665
191
WA Seattle
Hello there! WalnutTree here! So i'll be raising my first chicks in April 2021 (ordering from Meyer Hatchery) and i have a question on mixing breeds. I may not have the experience of a chicken owner, but i have been researching on them for the past year. One of the main things i researched heavily was breeds. I took a lot of time to come up with what i think is a perfect ratio of docile and calm birds. The time is getting close for me to place a hatch order, and i'm getting a little nervous, but i've heard that's normal?
Anyway, i have a lot of varieties i'll be getting, and i'm just hoping they can get along with each other... so if you have any of the breeds i'm getting i'd love to hear what they're like, and your experience with mixed flocks. These are the breeds i'll be getting:
Standards:
1 Buckeye
1 Black Australorp
1 Buff Orpington
1 Green Queen
1 Speckled Sussex
1 Mottled Houdan
1 Salmon Favorelle
Bantams:
1 Black Frizzle Cochin
1 Buff Brahma
1 Buff Silkie
2 Blue Silkie
 
Bantams raised in conjunction with large fowl can do fine - easier than integrating bantams into an established large fowl flock. That being said because of their smaller size, diminished vision and generally mellow temperaments I'd have a 'Plan B' in mind just in case things go bad.
 
I raised a brahma, a leghorn, a RIR, and an ameraucana from 4 weeks. They were totally fine as babies, but a few months ago they had some issues pecking each other and not getting along. Now, knock on wood, they are doing fine together. It was the brahma and ameraucana (2 biggest hens) that picked on my leghorn (smallest hen)
 
Bantams raised in conjunction with large fowl can do fine - easier than integrating bantams into an established large fowl flock. That being said because of their smaller size, diminished vision and generally mellow temperaments I'd have a 'Plan B' in mind just in case things go bad.
How does introducing LF chicks to an established Bantam flock go? Is that better?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom