Big 12-week-old Cockerels trying to mount banties!

[dangerouschicken]

I have 4 EE bantam hens that were last year's flock. This year, I have 24 med-large pullets and cockerels that I added to the banties at 7 weeks of age. Everything was fine, basically the banties were ruling the roost, until the cockerels' hormones kicked in. Now the big cockerels are trying to mount my tiny banties. The aggressive cockerels are White Leghorns, White Rocks, and Americaunas. At least if one tries to mount a little hen, her banty sisters attack him! We are set to butcher the cockerels soon (except one or two). Do you think I need to make a seperate coop for the banties, or do you think they can hold their own once there is only one or two roosters? I have never had the different sized chickens together and would appreciate input from you folks.

Thanks!

 

[DuckLady]

Your banties will always be a target because they are smaller. The leghorn will probably be the smallest roo you will have.
Can you get a banty rooster after you butcher the big roos?

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

With the difference in size, I'm thinking that separate quarters for the banties would be in order.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Well, the option is there for separate quarters, I just have to construct them. It wouldn't be too hard as I was thinking of making a chicken tractor anyway, and I think that would be good with 4 little banties. I don't think my getting a bantam rooster replacement will work, because there are one or two large-sized roos I'd like to keep (and not butcher) for breeding.

I will get on it the separate quarters.

thanks! any other ideas?

 

[dangerouschicken]

I wanted to update you all:

I rehomed the 4 bantie hens to my neighbor, who has a bantam rooster that needed girlfriends. Her son, who is 7, wants to hatch some eggs out.

When I left them today, they all looked quite happy, especially the roo