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One of the most common questions for new flock owners, is can you keep different chicken breeds together? The short answer is Yes! In fact, most chicken owners celebrate their varied flock. But, there is some level of skill to succeed in a mixed flock. Getting your goals and choosing the perfect breeds can be a difficult task. Keep reading to get the whole scoop on a mixed flock.
When you think about having a variety of chicken breeds, you might wonder what the goal is. Are there any benefits of having a mixed flock?
When you mix different chicken breeds, there are a few factors to consider:
If the breeds that you choose to meet all of these requirements, then you are on the path of success.
You may be thinking that smaller Bantam chickens wouldn’t do well with Large Fowl. But, this is a common misconception. Breeds of all sizes can get along great. Bantam chickens can sometimes even rule the roost in the pecking order. As long as all breeds are of similar temperaments, you shouldn’t have any problems.
When you are looking at mixing breeds, you will want to choose chickens with similar personalities. You wouldn’t want a few aggressive breeds with docile ones. This mix can only go in one direction. Choosing breeds with similar temperaments is an essential part of mixing flocks. There is an infinite combination of flocks possible, and for the most part, all kinds get along well. When mixing, it all depends on what your goal is:
Some of the most commonly mixed breeds are Barred Rock, Marans, Easter Eggers, and Orpingtons. These make for a variety of colors and egg types. This flock will be very docile and also make great pets. If you want all-white eggs, you may want to try different kinds of Leghorns. If you prefer brown eggs, you might want a mix of Delaware, Swedish Flower, and Black Copper Marans. There are also amazing Maran mixed flocks that will produce eggs all year round.
When you add a rooster to this group, you can even get a mixture of different colored eggs. These hens will then go on to produce different colored eggs of their own. With over 400 breeds, there are thousands of possibilities. So the sky is the limit on what your flock could look like.
There are a few breeds that do not get along well together because of personality differences. But, there are also some things you should stay away from if you want your flock to co-exist peacefully.
As mentioned already, you want breeds that have similar temperaments. You wouldn’t want to mix Rhode Island Reds with Orpingtons. Reds can be overly aggressive while Orpingtons are push-overs. This mix will likely end in disaster.
In addition to personality traits, you want to make sure that you don’t have chickens that look too different. If you have five red chickens and one that is white, the white one will likely get picked on. The same goes for chickens with large crests. If you have several chickens with no crest and only one with a fluffy crest, there will be some issues.
This isn’t to say that you cant have a mix of breeds that look entirely different. You will just have to take care that you have the proper ratios. We recommend that you have at least three of any breed that you get. The old saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true. If you have at least three of every breed, no single chicken will be excluded and picked on.
Choosing a rooster for your flock depends on why you want one. You do not need to have a rooster for your chickens to lay eggs. But, having one could give you some mixed breed chickens and added protection. If you are raising chickens for food, having a meatier rooster can produce heartier offspring as well.
Roosters such as the Barred Rocks can check all of these points, and also make great pets. They will keep their females in line and together for protection. But they won’t feel the need to protect their flocks from you and other family members.
Other common roosters kept with a mixed flock are the Rhode Island Red and Easter Eggers. These roosters will protect your flock and give you a variety of offspring.
One of the great benefits of having a mixed flock is creating your own hybrid. These hybrids could be beneficial for multiple reasons. Some people develop hybrids to produce more eggs, more meat, and a variety of egg colors. Doing this can take a little trial and error, but there are some that we know work well.
Bovans Brown hens are excellent egg layers. They produce more eggs than the average chicken, and all the eggs are very uniform. These are the most common hybrid bred. The popular ISA brown is a hybrid of their own. They are excellent egg layers, and when crossed with the Leghorn, they make beautiful eggs. You could also experiment for different egg colors with Olive Eggers (a dark brown egg breed mixed with a blue egg breed.) If you raise for food, a great cross is the Rhode Island Red and the Delaware hen, since both of these breeds are larger and hold more meat.
Ideally, you would want to introduce all breeds as hatchlings or pullets. Starting early will help the chickens adjust and grow into their pecking order without too much aggression. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t add chickens to your flock later. There are just a few precautions that you will need to take to make sure all chickens are safe.
If you notice that things are not going well, it is best to remove all the new chickens. Wait 24 hours and then try again. Sometimes things go well without a hitch, and other times it might take longer. After separating is an excellent chance to change tactics for better success.
With so many reasons for having a mixed flock, there is no end to the possibilities. Once you have a clear goal in mind, it will help you choose the best breeds for your coop. Not only are the variety of colors visually pleasing, but they also make for great talking points. Whether your chickens are pets or raised for practical reasons, keeping them can still be fun.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Doodle Board!!
