Can bantam chicks be raised w/ standard chicks?

[JLS]

I'm getting an order this monday - hopefully

- of wyandottes, americanas, and silkies. Is there any issues with raising them together? Are there any special considerations I must be concerned with?

 

[gryeyes]

I'm raising 2 bantams with 2 LF chicks right now, and my next to the last batch o' chicks in the brooder (went outside about a month ago) was comprised of four LF and 2 bantams.

I didn't do anything different at all.

 

[flowerchicks]

I raised a silkie/cochin cross with my first batch of chicks that included a RIR, EE and BR. They all got along fine but the silkie/cochin is a bit of a loner. My current batch, which are 12 weeks now, consists of a black copper marans, cuckoo marans, Australorp, silver wyandotte and black silkie. I got them all as day olds, raised together. They all get along but the silkie doesn't seem to "fit in" with the other chicks. She hangs out by herself and seems a bit of an outsider. I think its a silkie thing. They are a bit "slow", and because of this, Clover is going to become our house chicken. If I was to get another "mixed batch# of chicks, I would get 2 silkies. I don't know if another breed of bantam would be as much of a black sheep as a silkie, I tend to think not.

 

[JLS]

Quote:
I ordered 2 blue silkies. I hope they'll chum together. I also hope that they'll be strong and healthy. It would be a shame to loose one. Do the silkies get bullied by the others?

 

[Farmer_Dan]

The last batch of chicks that I ordered, I ordered 4 sultans with a bunch of RiR's, EE's, & Black Stars.

2 of the sultans were DOA (trampled flat) *(

the other 2 were dead the next morning (also trampled flat) *(

In the future if/when we raise different sized chicks together, we will (at least for the first week or two) have them separated by size.

GL, it probably works fine most of the time, but I really wanted those sultans to thrive!

 

[JLS]

Quote:
I NEVER thought about the transport!! Ohno, they'll be the only 2 bantams out of 29!! I hope they survive the trip.

 

[BoerneChickens]

Quote:
I NEVER thought about the transport!! Ohno, they'll be the only 2 bantams out of 29!! I hope they survive the trip.

I had an order with three standards and three bantams - one standard and one silkie were smashed flat - as a result I have only one silkie and although she and the other bantam (BPR) hang out together - I have been trying for three weeks to integrate them with the 20 week old standards I already had and they are attacked every time. They have been in a kennel in the coopo and hen house so they are all together all the time, but the minute the little ones are not in the protective kennel the war is on. It is breaking my heart and I am so worried they will never be accepted. The Silkie is my daughter's "special" chick and the BPR is my son's so I really don't want to give them away but I have no room for a second coop and I am so worried about how to get them all living together. I got advice to wait until they are the same size - but that won't ever happen so I'm not sure what to do.

 

[atimme]

There should be no problem keeping full grown bantams with standard size poultry providing they have ample space. The bantams tend to flock together if there are enough of them, but in a mixed flock things usually sort out in the pecking order. I've seen fierce bantams at the top and shyer ones at the bottom coexisting with much much larger birds. You will run into problems if they are overcrowded, in which case the bantams usually take the heat. In shipping bantams with standard chicks it is risky, but not impossible. I've only lost a couple and they were super tiny breeds like OEG. In the brooder the same rule applies, don't overcrowd them. Having a brooder with rounded corners helps and make extra sure that the heat is correct. If they get cold and pile the bantams usually will smother before the larger chicks. With a bit of care you can have the best of both worlds!

 

[BoerneChickens]

Quote:
At what age are the bantams full size? My bantams are 10 weeks and look so tiny copared to the 20 week old standard EEs and the one Marans (who has not been aggresive toward the little girls at all). I am going to build a divider to give them more time before they are all fully together - but I am wondering how much longer that will be. My coop and run are sized for 8 standard hens so I thought it woudl be plenty of room for 4 standards and the two bantams. But when they are all allowed to free range there are very few issues - mostly the issues are when they get shut back in the coop which is usually a few hours before roosting time.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

when i got my chicks i got 7 at first then two days later i went back to store and stupid me look in the bin n saw 2 pretty chick i needed to have them when i brought them home they were smaller. i got they were younger!!!! boy was i wrong they turn out to be campine bantams . they grew up with my others chicks and they fit in very well