Bantams with Standard sized chickens?

[blue_egg_lover]

We are getting chicks in a few weeks for the first time and my daughter has her heart set on a bantam Cochin. But if that's the only smaller sized chick would it get trampled over in the box when its shipped? And if it did survive the trip once it ages can it be in the coop as the standard size chickens? Plus how are the personality on bantams?

 

[paceysgl5]

From my personal experience, I wouldn't order bantams/LF at the same time. We ordered 25 chicks total, 4 of which were silkies. 2 of the silkies are pretty aggressive and they made it, and the only 2 DOA were the 2 white silkies which were obviously trampled.

That being said, we have since added 4 new silkies, which were about 9 days younger than our 15-day-old flock, and they are all getting along fine. So, I wouldn't hesitate to brood them all together, but shipping just 1 little bantam chick with a bunch of LF ones worries me.

 

[FMAFarms]

We have friends who raised bantams right alongside standards from chickhood, and never had any issues at all. We're doing the same with our Cochins and Silkies: raising them alongside the Orpingtons and Wyandottes. If they are together from day one, they consider each other to be siblings and part of the same flock. Check the new issue of Backyard Poultry. There's an article about a family raising Silkies, an Americana, and a Buff Orpington together. They brought the chicks home together, and from the photos it looks like they're one happy family. If you're concerned about the one bantam in a box of standard chicks, though, order more than one. That way, the bantam has some company and you have a back up.

Oh, about bantam personalities (sorry, forgot this when I posted). It's going to vary from breed to breed. Seremas are active, OEs can be flighty. Cochins are docile, so it's a good breed for your daughter.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I got a mix last year and they did fine. Sometimes if there are enough in the order, some hatcheries split them up in the box. It depends on the size of the order and how they are handled. Then at home, it depends on how big your brooder is. My bantams were fine with the standards all the way up through to about mid-winter when the Jersey Giants started stepping all over the smaller chickens. I then separated the bantams and put them up in the animals motel in my garage until my poultry housing expansion project is done.
Like so many things, 'it depends'.

 

[blue_egg_lover]

I think I'll hold off on bantams. I know this places that sells them around Easter time. I'm just afraid they won't make the trip. We've got several standard size Cochins coming in March. But my friend has nothing but bantams and she loves them.

 

[feather and mountain man]

We have raised one with a group of brown egg layers and it was fine but this last order from ideal I ordered one and the sent two bantams and it was a good thing cause one was squished dead in the shipping box.

 

[teach1rusl]

I just received a small order of chicks yesterday, four LF and four bantams. The bantams were fine. But I think that's in part because it was a small order anyhow, so crowding wasn't an issue. I would have been very hesitant of trying just one bantam with a large order - higher likelihood of it getting smushed. So to me, it kind of depends on how many birds would be in there with your bantam.