Hello everyone!
I ordered a bantam cockerel for my 11 hens and 6 pullets. All the females are standard size. I figured that if the cockerel turned out aggressive, I would be able to handle him. My chick order consisted on 7 females and the male bantam. Unfortunately one of the pullets was a male so I ended up with one standard size cockerel and one bantam. They are 21 weeks old now. The bantam is aggressive, however the standard size one is not (so far). I have already integrated everybody. They share the same big yard all day long. At night the pullets and the cockerels go to their coop and the 11 hens (of different ages) go to their 2 coops. I have multiple feeders and waterers in the runs, everybody has access to the them and they come and go as they please. The big cockerel is the alpha and keeps fighting the bantam, he does not let the bantam mate (although he sneaks around and mates them when the big one is not around). At roosting time, the big cockerel does not let the bantam in the coop, he chases him out. Eventually he makes it into the coop to roost overnight.
My concern is that due to the aggressiveness of the bantam cockerel, the 2 cockerels are eventually going to get in a big fight. I would really like to keep the big cockerel because he seems to have good rooster qualities and no signs of human aggression at this point.
I have another yard completely separated from the big yard with 4 hens (3 and 10 yo) I am thinking about moving the bantam cockerel with them so he can have his own flock.
I am asking for advise wondering if the 4 hens will be enough for the bantam and how to introduce him to this flock, do I put him in a cage for few days so the hens can see him or put them together in their big yard under supervision.
I ordered a bantam cockerel for my 11 hens and 6 pullets. All the females are standard size. I figured that if the cockerel turned out aggressive, I would be able to handle him. My chick order consisted on 7 females and the male bantam. Unfortunately one of the pullets was a male so I ended up with one standard size cockerel and one bantam. They are 21 weeks old now. The bantam is aggressive, however the standard size one is not (so far). I have already integrated everybody. They share the same big yard all day long. At night the pullets and the cockerels go to their coop and the 11 hens (of different ages) go to their 2 coops. I have multiple feeders and waterers in the runs, everybody has access to the them and they come and go as they please. The big cockerel is the alpha and keeps fighting the bantam, he does not let the bantam mate (although he sneaks around and mates them when the big one is not around). At roosting time, the big cockerel does not let the bantam in the coop, he chases him out. Eventually he makes it into the coop to roost overnight.
My concern is that due to the aggressiveness of the bantam cockerel, the 2 cockerels are eventually going to get in a big fight. I would really like to keep the big cockerel because he seems to have good rooster qualities and no signs of human aggression at this point.
I have another yard completely separated from the big yard with 4 hens (3 and 10 yo) I am thinking about moving the bantam cockerel with them so he can have his own flock.
I am asking for advise wondering if the 4 hens will be enough for the bantam and how to introduce him to this flock, do I put him in a cage for few days so the hens can see him or put them together in their big yard under supervision.
