[jo40]

I would love some advice/opinion on which breeds mix well. I have a barnevelder and a buff sussex at the moment and would like to make my flock up to 4.
I would like an orpington but believe they are very placid and may be bullied, does anyone have experience of this?
The other breed I am interested in is the Poland, again i have concerns as they are smaller than the other breeds.
The coop is 250 sq ft, the hen house is a converted 6 x 4 shed with an 'extention' 6 x 2 with the nesting boxes in (never used, they seem to prefer the floor). They also sleep in the corner too, ignoring the perch!
I would love to hear experiences others having of mixing breeds.

[aspirant]

We started with six Black Rock types then later introduced two Light Sussex and two Blue Marans.
Despite the Rocks being older and having already established a pecking order, everyone gets along fine.
It probably helps that they are all similar sized birds and have a large area to range about in. Good luck!

[treecol]

we read alot on this site about problems with mixing birds. But in our (limited) experience, we have had no problems. We initially had two warens, then got 5 more with no problems when introduced. Then we added a black australorpe, again with no issues. Then two white leghorns, with no probs, then yesterday, two more white leghorns and two speckly marrans, all of whom are pol. we just put them in the run and they get on with it. The newbies are always at the bottom of the pecking order, but we find after 3-4 days, the newbies are really mixing well and we haven't had any bullying. I do think though that the more space the birds have must help. Ours are in a big run then free range each day.

[Wyandottie]

I got six chooks at the same time and put them in together - a Cuckoo Maran, a Light Sussex, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, a Welsummer and two others of questionable parentage.  Initially the Light Sussex was bullied (she is the youngest), but is now growing quite large and becoming noticeably bolder!  They all seem to get on together very well now, and have the occasional squabble.  Just like having kids really!

[grumpydad]

we have 3 plymouth rock bantams, 2 blue laced wyandotte, and a rhode island red, all get along fine, the rhode island red is the boss, noisy and bossy, so we named her after our daughter, which did not go down too well, but they sorted their order out fine, non are bullied, and all seem to get on fine.

[wadz81]

We had four warrens and then got two sussex it's taken three weeks for them all to settle but were we got them from had lots of different breeds running round together and told us it didn't matter which breeds we bought as they all get on (don't know how true this is!)

[shiatsusu]

We've got 5 - cuckoo maran, light sussex x, rhode island x, columbine and bluebelle x. 4 came together and got on fine from the start, the columbine was introduced a couple of weeks later and needed separation for a fortnight but all fine now (after careful handling)