Can Bantam Roosters Breed with standard size Hens.

[Trekker]

I guess I'm not in a rush for an answer to my question, my little flock is only a week old today. I have 6 straight run bantams and 6 brown egg laying pullets. Next year if I get a rooster and pullets in the bantam flock I want to by a small incubator and try hatching some eggs. Because of the size difference in the birds I was wondering if it is possible for a bantam rooster to breed a standard size pullet. Has anyone had experience with this?

If you would like to see a short video and some photos of my little, flock, taken today, please follow this link:

 

[Trekker]

I forgot to get back here with the happy news my Black Silkie Rooster bred one of my Barred Plymouth Rocks and the resulting chicken has mixed traits from both parents. It has the barred grey and white feathers and the grey/green legs, extra toe and feather legs of the Black silkie. The egg was hatched by a White Plymouth Rock and once she went back to sleeping in the rafter, her favourite place, the rooster took over parenting duties. The chick sleeps cuddled up next to dad and dad hunts all day for treats for the little guy.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

I have a 4 month old "standard" Phoenix roo that I'm raising to hang with the big girls. Right now, he has googly eyes

for my 3 month old Light Sussex, who is 3x his size. I'm okay with him "trying" to fertilize the hens, as long as he's gentle, but I don't think I'll be hatching any weird Phoenix crosses.

I just want him for his protective tenacity, and his cute tail... LOL.

 

[greenSearcher]

It is funny to watch my silkie roos "At the morning rooster races". The big girls (Speckled Sussex and not so big girls Blue Andalusians) run faster than the little guys so they rarely ever catch them in the am. But the Silkies will dance and flirt, and once in a while the SS will squat way down so the silkie can mount. The funny part is when she decides all done and starts walking away with the silkie on her back. When my first hatch is done, I'll know if they were successful or not.

 

[ranchhand]

I know someone who has one of those little turken things, and he is breeding all of her big Brahma hens. Pretty amazing!

 

[a123andpoof]

My silkie fertilized the eggs of my standard hens. So yes.

 

[nbchickfarming]

how cute -love the pics thinking of getting a bantam rooster for my flock

 

[One Chick Two]

Those banty roosters sure can do the job.

We have a 1 3/4 lb OEGB (in my avatar) who is top bird in a freeranging flock of 78 PR RIR hens (plus a few banty hens). Currently our standard sized PR hens are between 6-7 lbs, and he loves them-, even though they are much, much larger. This male is older and has his technique down. It always involves stepping on, holding on, then, stepping back to do business. And the hens seem to like him as well. Eggs with him are (most of the time) fertile. This fellow knows his way around a henhouse.

A friend had OEGB Bantam in with her RIR, and her resulting cross mostly looked like the banty's coloring, but, had the RIR undercarriage color. The rooster had RIR size and yellow shanks. He is an exceptionally handsome cross- prettier then I ever suspected. Thought that cross might look like a Frankenbird, but kind of looked somewhat like a Wellsummer.

As I understand it, a cross resulting from two much different sized birds should become the size of the breed of the hen laying the egg, but, inherit some traits from the rooster- like coloring, or, other things. Could be incorrect on this, but how the lady with the OEGB/ RIR cross explained it.

We currently have some PR RIR X BCM crosses. BCM rooster, and PR RIR hen. The chicks are smaller than pure BCMs- they are tinier PR RIR chick size, and came out mostly black down in color, with very little gray or white. All have dark shanks and feet fully feathered, but, the coloring darker than the rooster's. Eventually they will have some red in them when wing feathers come in.

 

[SherrieT]

They sure can. I had ONE Banty frizzle rooster ( no other banties or frizzles) and it was amazing the number of frizzles that hatched out.

 

[One Chick Two]

LOL!! I bet he is one happy little roo! :-D Well thank you very much, I wasn't sure if I should turn him in with my standard size flock or not.

I was trying to not make my original post too long, so I left out that the top roo banty peacefully coexists with 15 other PR RIR roos in the flock as well, including a Partridge Cochin roo. He's the largest bird, who is at the bottom of the pecking order- go figure.

That OEGB bantam roo raised the whole flock, and trained the young males how to act. It was soon obvious he had an good disposition and is an great father. To this day, the Banty is still king of the land. And it is good to be king. His mini harem is three OEGB hens, with 3 PR RIR hens who adore him. He is very devoted to them all.