I want to keep all the bantams!

[Eblo]

Hi All,

New to chickens, and am just starting off with 2 different bantam flocks

Flock 1 - 2 Mille Fleur, 2 Porcelains, 1 brown OE, and a Golden Seabright about 10 weeks old.

3 cockerels
3 pullets

Flock 2 - 2 silkies, and 2 unknowns about 4 weeks old.

No idea on sex yet.

My goal is to combine all 10 birds outside. All are still in tubs and the older flock will be outside in couple weeks. I just know I’m going to get even more roosters, and I love all of them! I’m thinking of getting a new coop and splitting the sexes permanently so everyone can stay. It will be awhile till I’m 100% all the roosters.

Any advice? Can they free range together? All are pets to us and eggs are a bonus. I’m never doing straight run again!

 

[MiniBirdsMi]

So far it looks like you're fine. As long as you have at least four hens per rooster, they can get along nicely. We had over 8 roosters free ranging together with 30 or so hens, which was really pushing it and the hens were suffering for it, but the males rarely fought because they were properly introduced and had plenty of food and space. I had a mix of standards and bantams at that time. You just have to make sure they are not competing for resources and they will self-segregate. Too few hens, though, and the hens will get beat up pretty bad from over-mating.

Right now it looks like you have one rooster and 4 hens for the 10 week olds (as far as I can tell, the porcelain's heads are out of frame and I don't see the OE). If you have any silkie roos, they are rarely (but not NEVER) aggressive. The sebrights (the two "unknown" chicks in pic 1) are the ones to really keep an eye out for. They're not aggressive per-say, but can be a bit wild.

TL/DR - They should be okay if you keep 4+:1 ratio of hens to roosters and properly introduce the younger ones once they are fully feathered. *personal experience may vary*

 

[Eblo]

So far it looks like you're fine. As long as you have at least four hens per rooster, they can get along nicely. We had over 8 roosters free ranging together with 30 or so hens, which was really pushing it and the hens were suffering for it, but the males rarely fought because they were properly introduced and had plenty of food and space. I had a mix of standards and bantams at that time. You just have to make sure they are not competing for resources and they will self-segregate. Too few hens, though, and the hens will get beat up pretty bad from over-mating.

Right now it looks like you have one rooster and 4 hens for the 10 week olds (as far as I can tell, the porcelain's heads are out of frame and I don't see the OE). If you have any silkie roos, they are rarely (but not NEVER) aggressive. The sebrights (the two "unknown" chicks in pic 1) are the ones to really keep an eye out for. They're not aggressive per-say, but can be a bit wild.

TL/DR - They should be okay if you keep 4+:1 ratio of hens to roosters and properly introduce the younger ones once they are fully feathered. *personal experience may vary*

 

[Eblo]

Thank you for your expertise!

pic 1 - the OE - he’s a rooster right??? With that red comb?!

pic 2 - the 2 porcelains. I figured 1 was a rooster due to bigger size and comb being redder.

pic 3 - unknown chick. Any guesses?

pic 4 - just to clarify - you think he is a Seabright?

 

[MiniBirdsMi]

No problem!
1) Yep, he looks like a cockerel to me!
2) Yeah, you're right. You have another male there.
3) Old English Game Bantam
4) yeah, it looks like a golden laced sebright, though with the single comb he's probably what they are calling a "Golden Laced Old English", which is just a sebright mixed with an old english. Just the hatchery's way of trying to market mutts. (Nothing wrong the birds, I'm just an poultry purist lol)
Glad I could help! Cross your fingers and hope for the rest to be hens, or better yet go buy more :'D

 

[keesmom]

Have 2 coops, separate the sexes, and free range them on alternate days.

 

[Folly's place]

How they all get along is anyone's guess right now. It may be fine, or they may fight, or you may have a cockerel or two who are nasty little jerks.
Have a plan for any that don't get along, and eliminate jerks as they develop. Always have the good of the entire flock in mind! One bad individual will make everyone else miserable, not a good thing.
This will be fun!
Mary

 

[MiniBirdsMi]

Right, my bigger concern for you right now is over-mating rather than fighting. They can pick a poor hen bald pretty quickly if there aren't "enough to share".
I have no experience separating into two sexes, but other people have had success with it. I'd use it as a last resort though, but that's my personal preference.

 

[Eblo]

Right, my bigger concern for you right now is over-mating rather than fighting. They can pick a poor hen bald pretty quickly if there aren't "enough to share".
I have no experience separating into two sexes, but other people have had success with it. I'd use it as a last resort though, but that's my personal preference.

I made the tough decision to part with 2 roosters. They went to a good farm with many more hens for them. So hard!