Bantams and standards

[tiny529]

Hi!

I am completely new to the world of chickens. Actually, I haven't even started the process yet. I plan on building my coop in mid-May, so I'm trying to get as much info as possible before I get started.

I plan to order my chicks from MyPetChicken.com. According to their shipping calculator, I have to order at least 6 standard chicks, 8 bantams chicks, or 7 mixed, so I'm thinking about ordering either 4 standards and 4 bantams or 6 standards and 2 bantams. After talking to a friend of mine who raises chickens, she advised against getting bantams since they'd get picked on by the standard size. But Silkies make me laugh, and I love the thought of looking at the little fluffballs everyday. (This friend may even be on here... If so, hi!!) I do want mostly real eggs, a colorful mix too, so I don't really want to go for all bantams. I also want a colorful mix of hens, partly to tell them apart, and partly because they'll look super cool.

So I'm wondering if this bantam/standard thing is something that I really need to worry about. I am planning on getting more docile breeds since I have 2 small children (5 and nearly 2). I'm looking mostly at Faverolles, Easter Eggers, Sussex, Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons, Dominiques, Cochins, and Silkies. Not necessarily one of each... Those are just in the narrowed down list.

Oh... One other question (for now!) for anyone who has used MyPetChicken.com... It looks as though it can take about 6 weeks to get the chicks? I'm just wondering how accurate that is... If I start building my coop in mid-May, should I order the chicks in mid-April? Or, um, tomorrow...

It doesn't matter to me if I get the chicks before the coop is built since they will be staying indoors for about a month. But I wouldn't want them to get here before mid-May. I don't want to wait until the coop is built to order them since they might not be moving in until nearly fall.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[riverman]

I dont know how big scale mypetchicken.com is but it looks like a pretty big hatchery from the looks of the website, personally I wouldn't buy from them. I believe in supporting my local chicken breeders, that really have a passion for what they do and dont have dollar signs in there pupils. Chances are your local chicken breeder's chickens will have muuuch healthier blood lines and will be able to also give you a lot of advice on the breed your buying from them.

Check on BYC for people in your area that you can get in touch with and possibly even see the parents of the chicks your getting, if your into all that as I am.. haha

Also sites like craigslist.org is awesome for finding local chicken breeders in your state!

 

[Sparklee]

Quote:
I would be afraid of getting Silkies to mix with my flock, but maybe that's just me. I would be afraid of them getting picked on, too.

However, I heard that banties usually hold their own when put in with standard sized chickens. So the Wyandottes, Sebrights, and Cochins have done just fine in a flock of large chickens. However, they were raised from chicks with the chickens that they're living with.

I wouldn't wait to order my chickens. It may take 6 weeks now, but people have been ordering fast and furious, and it might mean waiting until August to get your chicks. Don't miss out. Plus it takes nearly/at least 20 weeks for the chicks to start laying once they've hatched if it's not winter by then. Just give the date and an alternate or two of when you'd like them to arrive.

And I did try to order through a local hatchery one year. I wasted 3 weeks trying to get a hold of them by phone, but never could. I even drove over there, but it looked deserted and I couldn't tell which building belonged to the hatchery and which were private.

 

[Funsizeracing]

I don't know where you're located but I have had a great experience with Cackle Hatchery located in Lebanon, MO. I think there's a thread here somewhere from others who have used them too.

 

[Squishypuff]

When I was making my orders from a couple different hatcheries, I was told that Bantams and the regular sized birds could not be shipped together- so the shipping minimums would have to apply to each "size" nd would have to be two separate packages. Just FYI, I tried to mix and match bantams and normal chickens too and it was a no-go.

 

[tiny529]

Quote:
I don't know... They have the "7 mixed" thing, so I assume that they will ship together. I'll drop them a line and ask though.

I plan on having mine raised together as chicks, so hopefully the Silkies could hold their own. Hopefully I'll get more input on that before I order.

I'm in Southern PA, BTW. We have local hatcheries, but they don't seem to carry fancy breeds. Some of the not quite as local hatcheries either don't sell sexed chicks or require a large order. I'm just getting started so I'd rather just have a small flock of fun hens.

If it comes down to it, I'll drop the Silkies from my list. I just think they are sooooo cute!

 

[Frannabelle]

Silkies do fine with a mixed flock!

 

[sourland]

When raised together, bantams and standard fowl MAY get along with no problems. Be aware that there is always the possibility of problems given the nature of the pecking order. I am always concerned about maintaining standard roosters with bantam hens in confined situations. Good luck, and enjoy your chickens.

 

[tiny529]

Quote:
Does it depend on the breed? Like, is a Faverolles more likely to get picked on by the bantam, even though it's bigger? Are there any breeds that I should steer clear of if I do mix bantams and standards?