Can you mix breeds?

[chris]

Sorry, really daft question I know.

We're looking at getting some chickens - probably next year once I've sorted out where they're going to go.. so I expect they'll be a lot of posts from me in this forum now ;-) - you've been a lucky escape until now!

Anyway. I like the idea of hybirds, totally novice at this (although I know a bit about birds, once upon a time I was going to be an avian vet... no idea how I ended up making websites) but.. I like the look of the Blackrocks, but would like something else too - I think we'll start off with 3/4 hens, they'll have a garden to themselves (bar some fruit and a greenhouse!) so I think there's adequate space.. I read on another post about 1sq yard per bird in terms of outdoor space?

So i'd like to go with a blackrock, warren (are they the same as rhode island reds? - so many different names for similar birds!), and perhaps a barred one of some sort..

[pink-angel29]

hi chris
yes you can mix breeds
i have 2 sussex
1 aracuna
1 black rock
1 maran
1 orphington

they all get on really well
and id def recommend black rock. shes our family favorite

[Nicos]

As far as I am aware the answer is yes- but it's a good idea to check out the general attitudes of each breed- and try and get fairly compatable ones. You certainly wouldn't want a reserved breed with a bolshy one...can you imagine the bullying?

I have tiny fussy bantams and have introduced- (as an egg) a large Marans. She's bottom of the pecking order as she's the youngest. My one concern is that she may be injured by the cockeral when he plays 'piggy back'
If it doesn't work out she'll be rehomed.
We do have plenty of free ranging- but they are all cooped in the same place at night- so early mornings would be the worry for me when there's 'no escape'
There are peeps here with different breeds who get different coloured eggs. It'd be interesting to find out which breeds get on the best from other peeps experiences! ( My OH is fancying a couple of Light Sussex)

[chris]

*googles light sussex*

Warrens by me, and Black Rocks are �6.90 a bird - min 3, that's delivered to you too (farm is 2 mins away mind, so I'll pop by I think when we're ready) - they do:

Warren, Black rock, and erm Amberlink? or something.

Edit: oh and different ducks, but they don't appeal to me. Don't fancy the idea of eating duck eggs for some reason?

Edit2: and also bluebell chickens too, cool they look quite nice

[chris]

wow, I've just seen a sebright picture- they look great! Oh dear. I fear it's started.

[di]

All we've found is that if there's just one that looks startling different from the rest it does tend to get picked on,so if you have a mainly brown flock and want to introduce a white or black/grey one then 'd make that one two.
We have 2 Norfolk Greys,2 Cream Legbars,2 Buff Orpingtons 1 Magpie(or Suffolk Pied?) 1 Dark Brahma and recently moved in with them 1 more Norfolk Grey crossed Maran,1 Buff O crossed Cream Legbar and a fluffy little white thing that could be anything,3 Marans and one Norfolk Grey/Maran cock...no major problems so far.

[Hilary B]

To answer the other question, most hybrids that are brown are crosses between a Rhode Island Red and a white (or near white) breed, such as White Leghorn, Light Sussex etc...
There are quite a lot of hybrids with different names which are actually the same cross, but produced by different breeding companies (who 'patent' the name they use) RIR x Light Sussex is very popular!

[jessmorris]

..I think your quote of one square metre per bird must be wrong, just visualise it. I have 10 bantams in 190 m square (19m x 10m) which is one bird per 19m square and I don't think I could fit any more in....to be classed as free range I think you couldn't have more than 1,000 birds per hectare which is 10,000 square metres (I think DEFRA have halved that now (in their wisdom - 1,000 birds per 5,000 square m)).

Mm, not sure on that one.

I think most people mix breeds - I've all sorts of chirpy booted Belgian bantams, some game bantams and some pekins. They generally rub along quite happily most of the time. I would agree with someone above though, they do prefer to hang out in breed groups, so get at least a pair of each sort.

Good luck with your quest!

JM

[Gro-Bag]

Uh-oh - I'm getting a bit worried now about keeping one of the maranses with the three cream legbars...

Although she is grey, and they are a lot of grey...maybe that will help? And while they have big hairy heads, she has big hairy feet...

Seriously though - is it generally a bad idea to have one of a breed in with three of another breed? (One of the CLs was her 'Mum' but not much interest in her big growing babies now...)

[Nicos]

Nope- I think you just need to try it...there are individuals in every breed which don't follow the 'norm'.
There also always has to be one at the bottom of the pecking order...I think you just need to give it a try.

[chris]

Not sure, the garden they'd be going in is 18m long, by about 9m wide, tapering to a point. Then there's a gate right next to where they'd be going, to a garden similar to your side, but arched around at one end.. so there's definitely enough room, and for four birds anyway, that's bags of space for them to roam around. Don't really think I'd want any more than 4 at the most really!

[SuzyB]

All seven of my original girls are different breeds and get on fine. Ive an ex batt who is boss, with a White Star, Speckledy, Blackrock, Skyline and a Black tail - sadly I lost my Bluebell earlier this year. In a few weeks I'll be introducing my newest girls, a Cream Legbar and a Light Sussex - early indications from when they free range together is that there shouldnt be any problems, other than the usual pecking order debate when they first go in with them.

[Suechooks]

..I think your quote of one square metre per bird must be wrong, just visualise it. I have 10 bantams in 190 m square (19m x 10m) which is one bird per 19m square and I don't think I could fit any more in....to be classed as free range I think you couldn't have more than 1,000 birds per hectare which is 10,000 square metres (I think DEFRA have halved that now (in their wisdom - 1,000 birds per 5,000 square m)).


Good luck with your quest!

JM

The 1sq m per bird is the RSPCA recommended MINIMUM for commercial free range apparently.

[its hilly]

I've got 40odd of mixed breeds. Mainly large but a few bantams. Admitedly their free range is the horses field so not crowded during the day. But at night they (at the moment) all pile in together.
In my experience
Brahma and Brahma x get bullied despite their size cos they're softties.
Most adults tolerate babies but bully teenagers like mad
Similar colours tend to group together
So I wouldn't get one black and two white, cos I'd expect the black one to get bullied, but different shades of brown and gold are fine
And I wouldn't put one younger (as in only half grown) one in with two older ones unless they had had time in neighbouring runs to get used to each other first
And I would never put game breeds in a mixed flock as they are more aggressive
But there are exceptions to everything with chooks, so it's all rule of thumb
Except for one thing....THEY ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE..so be warned..lol

[Glutton4...]

... Don't really think I'd want any more than 4 at the most really!

ROFL OK, who's gonna take bets!!!?