I need some advice on adding Bantam hens to my existing flock of standard size

[BDutch]

i'll take pics - the coop is like this one (15 chicken coop and i have only 7) - the run is very long and diverse, probably in feet 100ft all fenced and covered with poultry mesh so no predators. so all this wont be a problem. I also maybe made my large Ameraucana rooster to be a "bad" guy. he's actually pretty calm, but does have 2 girlfriends (his sisters....) that get mounted several times a day. I have a smaller splash silkie roo 1yr old that will probably love the mille fleur bantam hens - they are 1 yr old hens. I think i will get them and just be diligent in making sure they are treated right within the flock.

Is the run 100 feet long or 100 square feet? IMO 100 square feet is a run size for 6 calm and really small bantams (done that)
Nice coop (looks). Prefab coops are often too small for the numbers /chickens the shop says the coop is build for. Sometimes the numbers are right for only bantam chickens.
If you put very different breeds together you often need more space then with similar chickens.

Roosters, especially young roosters are often too horny for just 2 girls. (Can I say that?) Better give youre big rooster 4 or 5 ladies to mount and give your flock more (hiding) space. And please first give the hens a little peace if they are damaged. It is wise to isolate the rooster until the injuries are healed.

IMHO: Better search for solutions for you're flock problem and not just follow you’re heart into getting more problems.

 

[ErnieBerley]

Is the run 100 feet long or 100 square feet? IMO 100 square feet is a run size for 6 calm and really small bantams (done that)
Nice coop (looks). Prefab coops are often too small for the numbers /chickens the shop says the coop is build for. Sometimes the numbers are right for only bantam chickens.
If you put very different breeds together you often need more space then with similar chickens.

Roosters, especially young roosters are often too horny for just 2 girls. (Can I say that?) Better give youre big rooster 4 or 5 ladies to mount and give your flock more (hiding) space. And please first give the hens a little peace if they are damaged. It is wise to isolate the rooster until the injuries are healed.

IMHO: Better search for solutions for you're flock problem and not just follow you’re heart into getting more problems.

it's over 100 feet LONG and about 30 feet wide....huge run. with trees, shade, cover, bamboo, play area, a chicken's dream. I understand what you're saying and thanks....

 

[geno 9129]

I have 4 Ameraucana (3 hens, 1 rooster), 2 polish hens and a splash silkie rooster (he runs the flock...lol) . Mine all get along great now, but my Ameraucana roo is really big - he has 2 of my Am. hens almost bare on their hind quarters from aggressive mating.

Question - a local person has Mille fluer hens and I've wanted to add some of these for a long time, they are so beautiful!! do you all think these bantams will mix well with the flock? I dont' know anything about generalized Mille Fluer behavior. i will have them isolated for sure for the first week or 2, a run within my large run with the flock. thankx

 

[geno 9129]

GET RID OF YOUR BIG ROOSTER .HE DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD ,I RECOMMEND A COCHIN BANTY ROOSTER,I HAVE ONE AND HE IS A GENTLEMAN CALLS THEM ALL OVER WHEN HE FINDS FOOD ,NEVER SEEN HIM RAPE ANY OF THE HENS,THEY ALL LOVE HIM ,I JUST BOUGHT TWO MORE COCHIN HENS ,I JUST PUT TEM RIGHT IN WITH ALL THE OTHERS ABOUT TWO WEKS AND NOW THEY ACCEPTED THE NEW HENS ,,GOOD LUCK TAKE MY SUGGESTION GET RID OF THE BIG MEAN ROOSTER,GIVE HIM AWAY YOUR HENS WILL THANKS YOU GENO'S CLASSIC HENS

 

[elmo]

Are the bantams feather footed? With feather muffs, and no wattles? They look like Belgian d'Uccles.
I have two of those in my flock. Our other bantams are mutts, mixes of Old English Game bantam and Serama. One of our hens is half Serama, half Belgian d'Uccles.

I will say this about our d'Uccles: they've never quite fit in with the other chickens in our flock. They're clumsier and not as good fliers. When they were younger, they were always getting pecked gallumping up next to the older and higher ranking hens to roost. They'd get the daylights pecked out of them and back off, only to do the same thing the next night.

They're bigger and quite a bit heavier than the other hens, so as they grew older, they started bullying the smaller hens. It got so bad I had to start a separate "mean girls" pen just for the d'Uccles.

It may be interesting for us in theory to have a mixed breed flock, but I think it might actually be better to stick with one breed of chicken. Birds of a feather flock together, after all.

 

[Lela Marie Jones]

I’ve had mixed flock and my banti could take care of herself, but she was part of the original flock. And it all depends on the Roo. It sounds risky with the current situation. Integration is tough enough for full size breeds with a rooster involved. I don’t have a Roo now. No desire. Everyone is calmer and living happily together. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[ErnieBerley]

Are the bantams feather footed? With feather muffs, and no wattles? They look like Belgian d'Uccles.
I have two of those in my flock. Our other bantams are mutts, mixes of Old English Game bantam and Serama. One of our hens is half Serama, half Belgian d'Uccles.

I will say this about our d'Uccles: they've never quite fit in with the other chickens in our flock. They're clumsier and not as good fliers. When they were younger, they were always getting pecked gallumping up next to the older and higher ranking hens to roost. They'd get the daylights pecked out of them and back off, only to do the same thing the next night.

They're bigger and quite a bit heavier than the other hens, so as they grew older, they started bullying the smaller hens. It got so bad I had to start a separate "mean girls" pen just for the d'Uccles.

It may be interesting for us in theory to have a mixed breed flock, but I think it might actually be better to stick with one breed of chicken. Birds of a feather flock together, after all.

they are feather footed and feather muffs..... actually i already got 2 and have had no problems with the big rooster at all, he's chilled out now, thank goodness. So I think i'm good so far....

 

[ErnieBerley]

So everyone that's helped - I got the 2 d'uccles last week and I've had no problems so far, some pecking from my golden polish (she's the lowest on the existing totem pole) - the d'uccles have a big wisteria vine to hide in . The big easter egger roo is relaxed now, which is great. I know things can change and I will watch diligently. These sweet d'uccles were kept under a porch in the dark all of their life, no grass and not much light at all. Their feet had mud balls that are so hard it's like cement. And 1 of them, the white one, had a toe cut off (the previous owner must have been trying to cut the mud out) . anyway, i'm going to get the owner's remaining 3 hens today, I can't bear to think of these living in the dark and not pecking in grass in the sun. thanks for all your advice

 

[Double Yolked]

I have 4 Ameraucana (3 hens, 1 rooster), 2 polish hens and a splash silkie rooster (he runs the flock...lol) . Mine all get along great now, but my Ameraucana roo is really big - he has 2 of my Am. hens almost bare on their hind quarters from aggressive mating.

Question - a local person has Mille fluer hens and I've wanted to add some of these for a long time, they are so beautiful!! do you all think these bantams will mix well with the flock? I dont' know anything about generalized Mille Fluer behavior. i will have them isolated for sure for the first week or 2, a run within my large run with the flock. thankx

Every time I've tried to mix sizes in my flocks I've ended up with some badly beat up hens and once, a dead one. Hens are rather ruthless with their behaviors sometimes. They cull themselves to ensure that the strongest and best are in their flock and to a chicken small = weak. I'd be very hesitant in bringing in a smaller breed of hen.

 

[jodiefoster]

I have 4 Ameraucana (3 hens, 1 rooster), 2 polish hens and a splash silkie rooster (he runs the flock...lol) . Mine all get along great now, but my Ameraucana roo is really big - he has 2 of my Am. hens almost bare on their hind quarters from aggressive mating.

Question - a local person has Mille fluer hens and I've wanted to add some of these for a long time, they are so beautiful!! do you all think these bantams will mix well with the flock? I dont' know anything about generalized Mille Fluer behavior. i will have them isolated for sure for the first week or 2, a run within my large run with the flock. thankx

Bantams are too small to be with big roosters. Not a good mix.