can you mix standards and bantams?

[Zaxby's2]

After doing some research I'm pretty sure that you can mix them as long as you have a rooster of both types( I guess so that a bantam rooster can mate a bantam hen and the same for standards). However, if I got bantams I would only get two or three hens. Would this work? My fear is that our standard cockerel would try to mate a banty and end up hurting her. Our cockerel is a Rhode Island Red, and doesn't mate the hens too often, but I'm still worried. The hens are docile. Any answers, tips, or suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Katy]

I keep mine seperate just because I don't want to risk the bantam hens being hurt.

 

[KellyHM]

My little Sizzle free rangers with my EEs. Even if you have a bantam roo it won't stop all the roos from mating with all the hens...they don't care about size. As long as your roos aren't too aggressive you should be fine.

 

[Zaxby's2]

Quote:
Would it be okay to have just one bantam hen with the standards or is that a definite no? I thought that one banty hen alone might be bullied, but then again I've heard of how bantams can sometimes be at the top of the pecking order with standards. It sounds like it would be okay. Would it?

Oh, and about your EEs and banties being together, do you have a rooster? Does he mate your bantam hens? Does it cause any problems?

 

[7&8]

I have bantams in with large fowl. The bantam hens are too fast for the big rooster. Sometimes the bantams will even squat for him, but he only looks at them as if to say, "

." Once I saw him put one of his big feet right on top of a squatting bantam, and couldn't help but laugh -

Really, the bantams don't seem to have any issues being a part of my mixed size flock. They're smart & fast when & if they need to be. And they never seem stressed by their living arrangement.

 

[patricium]

My flock consists of 3 standard size (Red Stars), 4 buff brahma bantams, and one bantam BR rooster. They were all raised together and get along fine for the most part. We have a circular pecking order, so everybody gets pecked now and again. It turns out that the smallest bantam is at the top of the pecking order if you go by "least number of others that peck her". She can be quite the little tyrant with the full-sized hens when it comes to who gets first bites of treats. Two of the other bantams also are higher in pecking order than the reds. The one bantam that gets pecked by the reds, pecks the other three bantams.

The rooster favors the full-size hens. Ever since they were all day-olds together, he wanted to hang out with them more than the others.

In general, it depends more on personality than size.

 

[KellyHM]

Zaxby's2 :

Quote:
Would it be okay to have just one bantam hen with the standards or is that a definite no? I thought that one banty hen alone might be bullied, but then again I've heard of how bantams can sometimes be at the top of the pecking order with standards. It sounds like it would be okay. Would it?

Oh, and about your EEs and banties being together, do you have a rooster? Does he mate your bantam hens? Does it cause any problems?

I have 4 full size EE roosters and they do mate the Sizzle. None of them are overly aggressive though and she does fine. The chicks are pretty darn cute too!​

 

[cafarmgirl]

Zaxby's2 :

Quote:
Would it be okay to have just one bantam hen with the standards or is that a definite no? I thought that one banty hen alone might be bullied, but then again I've heard of how bantams can sometimes be at the top of the pecking order with standards. It sounds like it would be okay. Would it?

Oh, and about your EEs and banties being together, do you have a rooster? Does he mate your bantam hens? Does it cause any problems?

I have a single golden sebright hen in with my 8 standards which includes a RIR rooster. She was raised with them from day 1 and gets along fine. She is also by no means at the bottom of the pecking order, very plucky little thing. The rooster pretty much ignores her and even when he does look at her most of the time she just darts away from him. Though on rare occasions I have seen her squat for him, he just kept both feet planted on the ground!​

 

[ChickensXOXO]

I have a whole bunch of Bantams, and I recently added a rooster for my large hens.
(I used the large hens for eggs, and I was planning on eating them.)
He was young, and the plan was to actually eat him too... but I never did.
(I just couldn't bare to eat one!)
The rooster was very mean to my little hens, and some would even run to me to get away from him.
So I sold him with the large hens a week or so ago.
Now I only have all Bantams... like when I started. And I'm glad!

I, personally, would not do it again!

 

[chicks are life]

My bantam hen speckles is second in the pecking order of 14 hens and 1 rooster! Its halarious watching her stand on her tippy toes to reach the other hens head for a warning peck. She's a game bantam mix and our roosteris a red ranger so he's huge! He for a while attempt to mate with her he litteraly sat on her! But now she's quick and smart enough to get away from him be cause her back got all the feathers off it but she would pull off the saddle.but its all grew back in so she fine!