Can Bantam Roosters Breed with standard size Hens.

[kgower]

I have 3 Easter eggers a cuckoo maran and 2 light brahmas and one bantam which we think is a rooster but he is only a month old so not completely sure yet! I am very curious on this subject because I think a bantam light brahma cross would be a gorgeous cross! Has anyone else had any luck on bantam crosses?

 

[DevaughnWifey]

My husband has had his eye set on a golden sebright rooster for a long time & has been given one, but we currently have ISA Brown adults, (all others are 4-weeks old) and I'm concerned that they will pick on him. Also wondering if he could actually "do the deed" since he will be so much smaller than them?

Thanks!

 

[kgower]

My larger Chickens actually mother my Bantam. Not saying this is the case with all chickens as mine are still very young!!

 

[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.

 

[DevaughnWifey]

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).

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.

 

[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.

 

[DevaughnWifey]

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.

I was also wondering about that... how the banty's get along with the standard and heavier breed roo's? I ordered 15 chicks from mypetchicken in April... now it looks like I've got at least 4 roos in breeds that weren't supposed to be roo's... The only one I'm "displeased" about is the buff orp roo because I'm not very satisfied with their temperaments so far. Maybe they will mellow out after they grow a bit? (they are 4 weeks)

Anyway, I wasn't sure if I should be trying to keep them separate from the other roo's or anything like that... On top of the standard/heavy roo's I've got coming up.... Hubby asked to go over to a neighbors house recently for this banty roo (Larry) he came home with 9 roo's & 2 hens... all banty... plans to kill the splay beak hen and the 4 Old English something or others... unless I can re-home them... but I was always told to keep roo's separate... that they will fight?? Just wondering about your opinions?? You seem to be a lot more experienced with this type of thing than me... this is my first year with a roo and it's been an adventure!! LOL

 

[One Chick Two]

I was also wondering about that... how the banty's get along with the standard and heavier breed roo's? I ordered 15 chicks from mypetchicken in April... now it looks like I've got at least 4 roos in breeds that weren't supposed to be roo's... The only one I'm "displeased" about is the buff orp roo because I'm not very satisfied with their temperaments so far. Maybe they will mellow out after they grow a bit? (they are 4 weeks)

Anyway, I wasn't sure if I should be trying to keep them separate from the other roo's or anything like that... On top of the standard/heavy roo's I've got coming up.... Hubby asked to go over to a neighbors house recently for this banty roo (Larry) he came home with 9 roo's & 2 hens... all banty... plans to kill the splay beak hen and the 4 Old English something or others... unless I can re-home them... but I was always told to keep roo's separate... that they will fight?? Just wondering about your opinions?? You seem to be a lot more experienced with this type of thing than me... this is my first year with a roo and it's been an adventure!! LOL

Love good, happy roos! They are my favorites.

Here the flock were freeranging last summer. Drill Sergeant Sir Banty is herding the Motley crew, on the right. The Partridge Cochin is taking up the rear (on top- with his head cut off.) They do supervised freeranging- all the small birds have to have places to escape any bullying bigger birds. I guess being raised together as chicks, and the mix with only a few small birds/ very large birds in with the standard sized is why this worked possibly.

Much depends on the temperament of the dominate (or, as in our case, oldest) roo. Having an older roo who happened to be a bantam worked in this situation, only because he was smart enough to deal with the younger birds mischief without hurting anyone. Seriously, those much bigger boys all are on awe of him, so he is master of the bluff, lol.

Honestly, I just don't know what would happen with 4 large breeds roos, in along with multiple bantam roos- the dynamics and ratios are so much different. I would be curious if this could work. The fact that they are all pretty young and mostly are growing up together might make it work. When they are far off in ages, I think this makes it much more difficult.

You might need to separate some, or, all of the Bantam roos (with hens) if they fight with the larger roos- or each other, or, if the larger breeds attempt to mate your bantam hens. (Watch for this as they could get hurt.) Our roos all eye the bantam hens, but they are too fast, and Sir Banty keeps them in line. They don't bat an eyelash without his permission. He says who mates and who doesn't.

Not all Bantam roos fight (like Sir Banty). But, there are definitely some that are more fiesty and have an attitude. That said, we do separate our Black Copper Marans from this group, a) because we are breeding them, and although BCM are usually pretty docile, b) the males are paternal, and will fight protectively over females.

This is Monet, a BCM roo meeting Sir Banty for the first time- Monet was 1 year old when we found him. They had to posture for about an hour. Sir Banty was not amused.


Monet is 8 lbs, and Sir Banty 1 3/4. Monet got out of his pen area, and Sir Banty pounced on him to 'save' the flock. (No one was hurt.) Had to rescue Monet, and he moaned as he went back to his pen. Like I said, the Bantam runs the roost.

Hopefully your flock can work things out- Keep us posted. Just make sure there are plenty of hens per rooster and plenty of space.

 

[DevaughnWifey]

Will do! Thank you for all your help!

Right now, my husband has 9 roosters, 4of which have matured to the point they are crowing and strutting. If they were turned loose into the flock I have a feeling that Spazzy (

Mille Fleur D'Uccle​

) would get beat up, and Larry (Hubby's fav; a Golden Sebright)​

would "rule" the roost. Spazzy is my favorite, because he's so docile, quiet, well mannered (at the moment) etc. and the silver duckwings would land somewhere in the middle, but we already know that the Porcelain D'Uccle female will get beat all up and down, because she was nearly killed by the rest of the flock the morning we picked her up.

Such a new experience... I had no idea chickens could have such personalities... BUT I do know that if all roosters had the personality of Spazzy, roosters wouldn't have bad reputations any longer! lol

BTW ... do you know of anyone who would be interested in his 4 Red Pyle Old English? (I think is what they are?) roosters?? lol They are "boring" he says and are gonna be stew meat if I don't find homes for them. FREE to anybody who wants them!!