Chickens with an Identity Issue

Lkw

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It’s been a while since I posted on here due to several factors.

We finally got the new Chicken Taj Mahal (as my husband calls it) and mini chicken Taj Mahal (for the bantams) up and running. Everyone has been transferred from their temporary little coops we had to use after a tree fell on our old coop to their new homes!

We have about 70 full sized chickens (all named) and 22 bantams (also all named). All of them free range together and somehow get along and also all have in-enclosure food and water.

66 of the 70 Full sized chickens know they are full sized chickens and meander back their nice large chicken coop every night to be locked up safely… the remaining 4 (which includes the largest rooster, a smaller New Jersey giant - who is also the largest baby) clearly believe they are bantams… they will do whatever it takes to stuff themselves into one of the 3 bantam houses that are part of that enclosure… literally every night on my way to shut their enclosures, I see fluffy butts sticking halfway out of the smallest bantam house and have to either move them to another larger bantam home or carry each one to the big boy/girl coop.

Before you ask, no they are not being bullied. The new bantam home sits directly over where the temporary coop was that these chicken noodles shared with 10 other well adjusted chickens…

These are the most stubborn, hard headed, but friendly chickens I have ever met. They are not at all aggressive with their smaller hens and they will always snuggle down together (even In the yard for a quick nap)…

So the burning question, do I give in and let them stay where they want, since they clearly identify as bantams or force them into the other coop? My concern is that a bantam may eventually get trampled, though it hasn’t happened in 6 months…
 
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The problem is not that they "believe" they are bantams, nor are they being stubborn. It sounds like they have bonded with their bantam buddies and want to be with them. Or they got comfortable in the bantam barracks! Not sure what to tell you to do about it, except continue as you are doing - put the LF* chickens where they belong. Eventually they should catch on.

LF = Large Fowl.
 

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