Bantam Cochin As a Chick Minder

[RainForestBird]

I bought a pair of Blue Bantam Cochins in hopes that the hen would one day become broody and help me incubate eggs. The mated pair (one is quite a bit lighter blue than the other) has been quite aggressive and unfriendly to my 4 week old chicks. They are about 3 months old now. Will this behavior continue or will they mellow with age? Should I separate the rooster from the hen? The hen seems more aggressive than the rooster. They are always together and never with the chicks. Everybody is in the same run and coop. They chase the younger birds from the feeder, even though I have separate feeding areas. They just seem crabby and unsocial. I thought this was supposed to be a sweet breed. At night they go up in the nice warm coop with the light and the shavings, and the chicks are below in the run. I go in there every night and switch them around. But in the morning, they are all in the same place as before. They tolerate me to a point, but always peck at me when I reach out to them. Once I hold them and talk to them, they are ok.

 

[WVduckchick]

cochins can be fickle. I have both extremes, sweet and sour. Lol

If the hen raised the little ones, she may just be making sure they are independent at this point. Once they are full size, things will settle down. if she didn't raise them, then the adults are just making it known that they are the bosses.

Having said that, my bantam cochin boys have been wonderful with tiny chicks. The other hens are more problems than the roos. They also make great little flock masters. So I'd give it a little time and let them sort it out. They should also calm down to you as they get a little older too.

good luck!!

 

[RainForestBird]

Good, I'm kind of nervous about moving my little bantam size chicks out there with the others, I've kept them in longer under the light at night, they have been outside in a rabbit hutch to get them used to it. They are just so tiny I worry about them getting through a crack and becoming one of my cat's victims. I'm try to train the cats to focus on rodents, not flying animals. But its difficult. I saw them watching a little squirrel who's been leaving peanuts in my peat pots. Not sure why, does he thing they will grow? I mist the pots which contain tiny flower seeds.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[WVduckchick]

The sooner, the better. The bigger they get, the more the older ones will pick at them. From what I've seen.

I had to run a row of screen door fabric around the bottom (inside) of a couple of my runs. Tiny bantam chicks can fit thru holes for a few weeks. Actually had one get stuck, it's wings went thru, but it's butt was too big! Lol i had to cut the wire to free him.

Here is one of my cochin daddy's with a couple hens and some chicks.