How do I introduce 10 month old bantams to my 3 standards?

[chickenkeeper13]

Hello,
A while back I had bought 3 standard hens and 1 rooster, now i have 9 bantam hens and 2 roosters together. I want to put them all together in one big coop but, everytime I try to put them together while they free range at the same time, the standards keep attacking, especially the Rhode Island Red hen who is very protective of her rooster and her hens. Any advice would be greatly appreciate it.
Thanks, Chicken Keeper13

 

[sourland]

Without trying to be flippant, I would say VERY carefully. Big chickens pick on smaller, new chickens - that's just chicken society. Bantams and large fowl when raised together can get along fine. Introducing bantams to large fowl is always a tricky situation because of the difference in size. If the bantam roosters challenge the RIR rooster, he is very likely to kill them. Provide lots of space and hiding places for the bantams and monitor the introduction very closely.

 

[chickenkeeper13]

Thanks,
Anymore ideas? Not being rude Broody magician but I want to make sure I get alot of opinions before I try anything and the rir is a hen not a roo btw.

 

[sourland]

The large fowl rooster will eventually discover that two of the bantams are cockerels.

 

[donrae]

If you've tried a few times under free ranging conditions, you might not be able to make them one big happy flock.

I'd turn the bantams out, then the lowest ranked standard bird. Leave the other large birds penned. Do that for several days. Then add the next lowest ranked bird, and on and on.

Keep in mind the roosters may never get along, and a large fowl rooster can easily damage a bantam hen during mating.