6 week old bantams and standards

[jtbrown]

I Need to know what you think about putting 8 bantams (and a runt light brahma who has brooded with them for 3 weeks) in with 10 standards ( mix of 4 light brahma and 6 red sex links). They are both 6 weeks, fully feathered, the big girls have been in newly built work in progress coop for 3 nights and have done well. Eventually want to keep the two separate so we can have bantam rooster in with bantam and no rooster in with standards and are building coop that way but the coop is only finished on one side. It is predator proof, nice door, etc. The bantums look so small, but are fully feathered. I have a small cage I built with sturdy top that I can integrate them in over a few days. It is 2x4 feet. I really need extra brooder for growing 25 1 week old EE.

Anyway, asking for opinions, so fire away. This is my first year, and I've wanted chickens for so long, well, I went a little crazy. Also, is it common to have a runt? This light brahma plays momma over the bantam, they curl up under her even though they are same age. I digress . . . Main thing I want to know is about combining bantam and standard flocks now (same age). Thanks

 

[mama24]

I have mine all together. It's hilarious to watch the teeny tiny Dutch cockeral spar with the huge EE, or even funnier, grotesquely huge CornishX cockerals.

 

[WallTenters]

The only ones I'd worry about would be the sex links, but you have enough of the bantams to make them not be individually picked on, so they should be fine. We mix everything together too

 

[jtbrown]

Great, that makes me feel better. I put them out in cage with all sides exposed so they are checking each other out. I will leave them like that at least today and tonight, maybe then try to integrate (supervised) tomorrow. I can take my time integrating, but I'm truthfully thankful to have them out of workshop. Those bantams are so small, such attitude though.

 

[jtbrown]

It has been a whole 3 days since I turned bantams loose in pen with Same age standards. At first I had a 1/4 inch hardware screen brooder top that only bantams could hide behind, they stayed there and hid only venturing out to be pecked and runback behind screen. I have spent last several hours watching them all integrated together. Yippee, eating out of same feeder and waterer. I am so excited, bantams still seem to move together but I think that will fade as days go by too. Just an update, thanks for encouragement, it worked.