Bantam rooster harmony

[gootziecat]

I find bantam roosters to be particularly difficult when it comes to their little man syndrome. Is there a breed of bantams that the cockerels and roosters can live in harmony in a mixed group scenario? In other words, once a pecking order is established, can several roosters and cockerels get along, even with hens present? Most don't seem happy just establishing they rule and then live in relative peace. They want to kill and/or run off any other male at any cost.

Thanks for any experiences you have had, good or bad. Just be sure to mention the breed(s) and if hatchery or not.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 3 Roos ranging in age from 9.5 yrs to 1.5 yrs 2 OEGB and one game/bantam the oldest. They all sleep inside a large coop 2 rooms they very much respect the oldest and the youngest has learned to respect his older brother. No fighting and during the day they have a half acre to forage in that is fenced I also have 22 hens. Of all the bantam Roos I have had over the yrs my Cochin bantams were the worst for wanting to fight.

 

[Fiasco]

I know what you mean, about the "little man syndrome"! I have 2 dozen hens right now, and 4 roosters. 3 of the 4 roosters are large Chanteclers, and most of the hens are large as well. The last rooster is a pretty little guy, I was told he was a bantam/brahma mix when I got them (which was a few months ago). He definitely thinks he is the biggest rooster around! He wasn't raised with the other roosters, but I just put the whole flock together and they did pretty good. He was the first to challenge the other roosters and established his place as the top guy (although the others are at least twice his size!). After that, he's just put them in their place once in awhile, but gets along pretty well. He is always the first to crow in the morning, and will never let the others step out of line. They don't seem to mind that though (Chanteclers are pretty mild-tempered chickens overall), so things worked out well for me!

I don't have a ton of experience with chickens though, so this could be an exception to the rule. I do seem to have a pretty mild-mannered flock, they've never hurt each other yet once they were established together. There were some pretty nasty fights when I first got them - their former owner offered them to me at a steal price, with the catch that I had to take his 20 roosters as well. He had them separated into two flocks up until that point. I made the mistake of housing all the roosters together in a small pen, and some inevitable fights ensued...but that wasn't their fault; it was mine! Once I had re-homed my excess roosters and put the rest in with the hens, they calmed down a lot.

Bottom line - yes, it's possible, at least with the mix I have. I don't really know the determining factors though.

 

[TXchickmum]

We had a pair of bantam cockerels. (An OEGB and a Belgian d'Anver) They got along just fine. The Belgian d'Anver was the more dominant, and kept a lookout for the flock. The OEGB was pretty docile, but would be very protective and sound an alarm crow if there were any overhead/flying predators. They never fought one another. -found both of them to be good roosters, do their job of protection for the flock well (mixed flock of bantam and large fowl hens), and be very friendly toward our family. The Belgian d'Anver did have a tendency to "attack" my husband's work boots! Any time my hubby wore them outside and that little roo was around, he would run up and spur the work boots. -never spurred anything else. -was hilarious!

 

[Fiasco]

We had a pair of bantam cockerels. (An OEGB and a Belgian d'Anver) They got along just fine. The Belgian d'Anver was the more dominant, and kept a lookout for the flock. The OEGB was pretty docile, but would be very protective and sound an alarm crow if there were any overhead/flying predators. They never fought one another. -found both of them to be good roosters, do their job of protection for the flock well (mixed flock of bantam and large fowl hens), and be very friendly toward our family. The Belgian d'Anver did have a tendency to "attack" my husband's work boots! Any time my hubby wore them outside and that little roo was around, he would run up and spur the work boots. -never spurred anything else. -was hilarious!

You know what, you may have just solved a little riddle of mine! I'm usually the one to take care of our chickens, and my little bantam rooster has never tried to challenge me in any way. However, once in awhile my brother or dad will let the chickens out for me. They both get attacked by the rooster (he flies at their feet with his spurs out), but I have never been. I put it down to their size or dominance, but I'll betcha it was their big boots! They both wear very large rubber boots all the time in the winter. I'm guessing it's because the boots are so big/bulky and move at chicken level. That makes perfect sense...now I want to borrow their boots and go test the theory out!

 

[apryl29]

I had 3 cockerels at one point (purchased as chicks). One was a bantam oebb, Willie; a leghorn, Odin; and a buff orp, Steve.
From early on Willie and Odin got along fine. Not much chasing around. Odin was the ladies man and Willie had his couple of girls (including another bantam) to woo. Oddly, Steve was a late bloomer and we thought he was a pullet until he started crowing at 19 weeks. Willie had taken a liking to him and would even do a little dance. Now once Willie discovered that Steve was a boy, things got heated between them. I ended up separating Steve b/c 3 boys was too many for my 13 girls and Steve was a big guy w/ no tact. After I got rid of Steve everyone else was in general population. No problems between Willie and Odin. In fact, when I'd go into the coop Willie would run outside and get Odin to stomp around try to intimidate me. They'd do a little chasing around, but nothing major and it was usually Odin getting mad that Willie was going after his women. After a while Odin started getting aggressive & I sectioned him off. On the occasion that I'd let him out with the others Odin would chase Willie. I eventually had Odin culled for the safety of myself and my kids. Last summer I got some chicks and 2 ended up being lavender orp cockerels. In the beginning all the birds were mean to them and wouldn't let them in the coop. Willie would chase and attack them all, even the females. Eventually they were quite a big larger than Willie, but they were still afraid of him. At the point I got rid of them they were just starting to mature & crow and want to mate, but since they were very large, like Steve I got rid of them. I don't know how things would have been if I'd kept them longer.. it's very possible that they would have eventually tried to take over the dominant role.
IMO if you have enough space & ladies to go around, there shouldn't be too much of an issue, but it also has to do w/ the bird's temperament. If they aren't respectful of the females and run around jumping on everyone, I think you're going to have a problem. Odin and Willie were both very good about dancing for the females and letting them choose if they wanted to submit, they both had their own favorites. But the orpingtons would just grab the females by the back of their neck and jump on them w/ no dancing which always ended with the hens screeching and running away. Which upset the other boys Willie & Odin. Of all the boys I've had, Willie's been my favorite. Odin was aggressive & I kept him around way longer than I should have, but he was very good to the girls and a great protector. The orps weren't aggressive to me, but they were very stressful for my females to have around.

 

[TXchickmum]

I'm guessing it's because the boots are so big/bulky and move at chicken level. That makes perfect sense...now I want to borrow their boots and go test the theory out!

Yep. My daughter, son, and myself walked around out there with them and never got so much as a glance. My hubby went out in sneakers, and nothing. Every time he came out wearing the steel toe boots, that rooster charged his feet. It was a source of laughter.

 

[gootziecat]

I'm enjoying everyone's stories and experiences. Thank you.

I prefer bantams but so far, they have either been nasty to me or nasty to any other male on the premises, raised from egg in the same clutch or not. The worst bantams I've had so far (off the top of my head), raised together all their lives but want to kill each other at sexual maturity, have been bantam Orpingtons and bantam Houdans. I know there have been many others or I wouldn't be inquiring of others experiences. I'm so tired of trying breeds that I spend a lot of time and money on raising up and find they are impossible to deal with.

It's surprising the OEGBs are mellow. They have a reputation otherwise. The hens are supposed to be really sweet, but not the roosters. Good to hear a positive story.

I hope there are many others that can contribute to my bantam quest. Thank you.

 

[TXchickmum]

It's surprising the OEGBs are mellow. They have a reputation otherwise. The hens are supposed to be really sweet, but not the roosters. Good to hear a positive story.

Here is our mellow OEGB (cuddled by the daughter from the time he was a little guy, and frequently brought indoors)