# Different breeds?



## b_elms (Mar 23, 2014)

I have 10 buff Orpington's 2 RIR and 3 EE. All get along well. All are hens. I would like to add some white leg horns to the mix. I have never had one but i hear they can be aggressive. I am growing to love my chickens. And want to keep adding to the flock. Would this be a good breed to mix in? We have LOT's of room for them. And a massive run. So I am thinking it might work!:/ and what might be a good mix for the hens I already have? 


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I have all sorts of breeds mixed, i don't find one breed gets picked on more than the other (my ISA hens are horrible to all other birds), regardless of what their breed standard says. The older girls always have rule over the younger ones, and I find the girls sometimes put themselves into groups when foraging - usually by breed oddly enough.

Most of my birds are seen as the calm breeds, just as I like a big heavy bird usually and those just happen to be fairly docile. My leghorn was no great terror and was frequently bested by my other girls based on their greater size, I'm getting in production leghorns this year, hopefully since they are bottom of the totem pole as younger birds they will stay that way and not be heinous to my other birds like my other production layers. I honestly think the production ones lack something lol


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## b_elms (Mar 23, 2014)

Thanks for the info. So it sounds like just buying what I want, and seeing what fits? That's good to know about the production hens. Lol.... I am excited to see how every one will get along.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I find breed descriptions helpful when choosing a breed for what you want, but once the birds get together, it's a personality thing (in my experience). Great for knowing which breeds are cold/heat hardy, or good free rangers, good layers, etc. but I've seen the fattest, calmest hen and the smallest most delicate one kick the snot out of one another, it doesn't matter how people friendly they are. My production bred hens were super friendly to me and some would rather spend the day in your arms than in the yard - they were haggard to my flock, even escalating to killing one of my show birds. I've also seen ISA hens get along famously in a mixed flock, so I can only attribute it to them being an established, older flock who were used to running the show.

Out of my production layers, I have one left - they were an established flock of 12 that I introduced to my flock of 24 young birds in June of last year - she's in a group of the 6 remaining 11 month olds and they give her a wide birth, she eats first, sleeps on her own roost, and the young ones stay the hell out of her way. They won't challenge her so long as she is healthy because she has instilled her prowess deeply into their little brains. 

This leads me to believe that the older and more experienced the bird, the more likely it will hold it's position in the flock. The younger birds that are not as experienced will not be as likely to fight for their niche as half growns, so they will kind of meld in, but be higher than the next years batch of chicks. The issues usually lie when you introduce a bird of the same age or bring two flocks together, as those birds have an established hierarchy and want to keep it that way. That's why I am not afraid to bring in more production hens despite my bad experience with them, as I doubt I'll get another flock of harpies based on my above theory.


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## b_elms (Mar 23, 2014)

Thank you so much. This is given me so much to think about and consider. After your last post I have been looking up ISA chickens. I had no idea about them. I really like all that I found on them. I have one hen now that sounds like your old hen. Large and in charge! Thanks agin! 


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

ISA sex link is the "proper name" for the red brown egg laying chicken you get from the feed store or what have you. They aren't a breed per say but a hybrid, raised for production.

Golden or Red Comet, Red Sex Link, Red Star are some of the names they go by when you purchase them.


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