Keeping small hens and big roosters together.

[alexa009]

I have a mixed flock of different breeds, including a some black copper maran cockerels who are 8 weeks and a Japanese bantam pullet who is 4 weeks. Anyway, I'm planning on keeping a rooster and what happens when they mature and I'm letting an 8 lb. rooster mate with a 1 lb. hen? I really don't want to rehome the pullet because she is sweet and I mainly keep roosters for breeding purposes, but it's necessary for me to rehome one it will be the Japanese bantam. My question is, can I let an 8 lb rooster mate with a 1 lb hen? I don't want to take any chances of mortality. Any answers appreciated!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

You cannot keep these birds together. The pullets will probably be killed when the cockerels mate them.

 

[JedJackson]

8 pounds is kind of big. I've had large fowl roosters up to the size of a RIR with bantam hens with no problems, though. So I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Maybe get a consensus of what different people think. Or use the search feature on here and browse through older posts on the topic.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Did the RIR breed your bantams Jed? I'm just curious. Chickens are so funny, our bantam rooster's favorite girls are my Jersey Giants and Lavender Orpingtons. They are by far the largest, but also the slowest so much easier to catch, and not as feisty as the others.

I think temperament may play a huge role here, if you have a really randy cockerel I wouldn't attempt it.

8 pounds is kind of big. I've had large fowl roosters up to the size of a RIR with bantam hens with no problems, though. So I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Maybe get a consensus of what different people think. Or use the search feature on here and browse through older posts on the topic.

 

[JedJackson]

Did the RIR breed your bantams Jed? I'm just curious. Chickens are so funny, our bantam rooster's favorite girls are my Jersey Giants and Lavender Orpingtons. They are by far the largest, but also the slowest so much easier to catch, and not as feisty as the others.

I think temperament may play a huge role here, if you have a really randy cockerel I wouldn't attempt it.

Yep, and they were small, Sebrights and OEG bantams. This wasn't the main rooster, though, so he kind of took what he could get for hens. If the original poster has enough hens the rooster might not even be interested in the bantam.

 

[snow5164]

8 pound rooster to a one pound hen? You must know the answer to that question ..... not a good idea

 

[alexa009]

Thanks for your answers, my black copper maran roosters were always laidback and hardly even attempt to mate the hens. I have a black copper maran rooster with 2 hens, one is only half the size and you can't even tell the hens are missing one feather from them.

 

[rebrascora]

I think the main thing to point out here is the difference between a mature rooster who is not so driven my his hormones and has the balance and technique and respect to make mating less of an effort or ordeal. The OP has young cockerels that are going to be at the whim of raging hormones and will not have earned the respect of the hens so they will more than likely not willingly submit to them. Then it becomes an issue of the cockerels chasing the hens down and aggressively forcing them to submit. This is when injuries can occur with mature large fowl hens let alone tiny bantams. More than one adolescent cockerel more than doubles the risk because they will pin down and repetitively mate the same hen or pullet like a tag team. They really can be brutal, especially without a mature flock master rooster to keep them in check. I would say this situation is a recipe for disaster. Personally I think young cockerels are better kept in a bachelor pad for their first year or in a flock with a mature rooster and mature hens to teach them some manners, but there needs to be plenty of space if the latter.