Solitary chicken - need advice

[Tancho]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum

My question is, how easy is it to keep different chicken breeds together?

 

At the moment I have two very boisterous silkies that I have to keep away from my polish girls. I'm just in the process of getting a larger hen house and would love to add some variety to my flock.

 

I love Pekin bantams and buff Orpington l/f but I think I'm pretty right in thinking its best to go for similar sized birds?

 

Any input greatly received and other suggestions also welcomed!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome .

 

I've always had medium-sized hens who have generally always got on. I then got a smaller Aracauna who has been mercilessly bullied for months (not straight away though, strangely). It may be a coincidence but I'll always stick to similar size girls in future!

[kentuckyfried]

I have rangers (ex batts) and pekins together- they get along fine.

 

In the other flock I have some random hens that I need to identify now they are POL and a coucou de rennes who also get on fine.

 

I am going to try to combine the flocks in the summer- I have a feeling that won't be as easy.

[Redwing]

Its worth looking at Orpington bantams who are still quite large! Birds of various sizes do live together quite well but its always safer to go with similar sized birds if you can. Pekins are very feisty though and I am not sure they are aware of their small size sometimes so they may give a docile Orpington a run for its money!

[sjp]

my mob is a mix or sizes and I find it's the bigger girls that end up with the cuts and bumps as the smaller girls use their size to their advantage plus they are a lot smarter than their bigger sisters. mind all mine are home hatched with a broody and have been free ranging with the mob from a few days old so they know which buttons to push and which not to push most of the time

[Tancho]

Hello again and thank you so much for the brill advice!

 

I'm thinking the silkies would get on with others and stand their ground as they are really boisterous and act like they own the joint! They were absolutely merciless with the poor polish so we now have the garden split for free ranging (less for the mop heads because they don't really move far!).

 

If I were to put larger birds in, do you think it would make a difference if it was say one larger bird with a mix of smaller ones? Or would I be better going for more than one larger bird so there is someone else of the same size to keep in line?

I am not very good with chicken behaviour so have am image of a large evil overlord going at my other smaller hens!!

[Valkyrie]

 

Hope this works and not too big - Photobucket has a habit of playing up!

 

Simple, take one large bowl, fill with dirt. Take another bowl and fill with dirt. Add 5 assorted chooks and do not stir but sit at a safe distance or you get a dirt bath too.

[keyhole kate]

I have two silkies four Pekins one pilkie one ginger nut ranger one Large Fowl buff Orp all happily living in a with a WIR the silkies have attitude and are especially feisty when broody but everyone gets on very well my is the Boss she won't tolerate any nonsense she has grown spurs that's how serious she is I feel

slow intros for me was the key to success I also think individual personalities play a part in finding harmony and I know some just have been unable to mix groups I think it's important to have a back up plan just in case