Integrating bantams

[SweetTea&Chicks]

I've been looking at bantams to be my spring chicks this year but my concern is that integrating them into an established flock of 10 standard sized chickens will not be pretty. There is plenty of room in my coop and I free range (still debating letting bantams free-range). I have 2 that are bullies but I'll probably end up moving them while I integrate. I'm looking for tips on this subject and issues you had so I can try my best to avoid them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My advice would be not to. Bantams do best kept as a separate flock. Some people do mix them. What breeds?

Integration would be the same as any other breeds.

 

[Rlmp817]

Look up 4 week integration techniques by aart? They wrote a great piece on integrating chicks at a younger point so that the flock won't see them as much of a threat.
As for my experience, last summer I had 2 full sized hens and a turkey. I did 2 weeks of see no touch with a few days of {short} Co foregoing with a subflock of new to me bantams {1 cockerel and 2 pullets, 12-14 weeks old by my guess}. They integrated successfully, albeit with a bit of pecking order scuffle. Blood was only drawn once, and now they are happily co existing with the larger flock mates.
Now I have 4 Buff orpington chicks who I will be integrating at 3- 4 weeks. They are 2.5 weeks now and I am doing very short co-foreging field trips and have a see no touch wire brooder set up in the run. Yesterday the bantams checked them out and there was a tiny bit of pecking, but more to see 'what the heck are these things and what do they do,?' then to be mean.
So if you have the time/energy/set up, bantams can absolutely be integrated within a larger flock. It will take time. It will take watching over and seeing if you have a bully that you may have to separate for a day or so.