Adding Bantams to a flock of Standards?

[bockbockquack]

I successfully added two silkies to my established flock. They have a large pasture to roam during the day and a spacious coop at night so space and being able to escape were not an issue. I kept them in a separate part of my coop for a week so they could see and be seen but not touch the rest of the flock. Then I moved them to the main coop at night; I just set them on the roosts next to the other hens. In the morning they just went out with the rest of the flock when the door was opened. My other chickens are buff orpingtons, RIR, and EE.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

They would definitely be confined but I've heard they're very good fliers. I wonder if I put a roost up high in the pen if that would be a good place for it to "hide out". I'll have to research it more.

Mine did not fly at all. The foxes gobbled up three so I rehomed the rest because they were no good at avoiding predators.

If it is the Mille Fleur pattern that you like, OEGBs come in that pattern too and they are good at "getting away" whether it be predators or another chicken wanting to pick on them. Or if it feather legs, brahmas are a bit larger of a bantam. Rosecombs are also another good option; mine seem to be nonconfrontational and sort of fade into the background so no one bothers them, and they are a little bit bigger than Sebrights, OEGBs, d'Uccles, etc.

 

[danielchelsea]

We have a mixed flock with 4 Black Sex Links, one Frizzle Tolbunt Polish, and 3 bantams...A Polish, an Old English Game Hen, and a Seabright. All of the girls seem to get along alright, but the Seabright and Game Hen are very obviously at the bottom of the pecking order. Not sure why, but Donna the Polish bantam is accepted by the big girls and seems to prefer their company over the other bantams. This being said, our girls free range almost all day every day, so they kind of split up into 2 groups and don't bother each other except for meal time where the bantams will be chased off. I would be nervous about them being confined together all day, but it's not impossible!

 

[misskes]

Mine did not fly at all. The foxes gobbled up three so I rehomed the rest because they were no good at avoiding predators.

If it is the Mille Fleur pattern that you like, OEGBs come in that pattern too and they are good at "getting away" whether it be predators or another chicken wanting to pick on them. Or if it feather legs, brahmas are a bit larger of a bantam. Rosecombs are also another good option; mine seem to be nonconfrontational and sort of fade into the background so no one bothers them, and they are a little bit bigger than Sebrights, OEGBs, d'Uccles, etc.

It is mainly the pattern that caught my attention with them. I think I'm going to compromise and go with the Speckled Sussex instead.