Can you cross bantams with standards?

[epona4]

I have a sussex roo and hen and a Barred Rock bantam trio. Will the roos try to mate with all the ladies?

I suspect come spring I'll need to separate the pair from the trio as I'd like to have some Sussex chicks. However, I am wondering if it is possible to cross them or if that would be bad for the banty hens.

Thanks

 

[KellyHM]

My EE roo breeds my Silkie hen, but I keep a saddle on her b/c his nails tear her skin since he's so big. The chicks are the most adorable thing ever though!

 

[epona4]

How does a saddle work? I've never heard of this before. I am guessing it is to protect the hens backs.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Yep, the roos will try to mate them all. I let my chickens out of the breeding pens for winter and I have seen bantam roosters mating full-sized hens and full-sized roosters mating bantam hens. I am incubating some of the eggs right now to see the fun mixes. I watched them all closely and the roosters don't seem to fight each other they just each choose a group of hens for themselves and live in seperate areas of the great big barn they are living in for the winter and I figured the barn was warmer than all the outdoor coops over the winter.

 

[runamuck]

Yep, its works

Heres the proof Pretty boy the Phoenix sebright mix roo

anyone want a few lol

 

[epona4]

A very pretty boy indeed!!