keeping some wild bantams, what to expect

[mcostas]

I currently have 4 dark brahmas, 1 hen and 3 roos, and 3 wild bantams, 1 hen and 2 roos. I got the brahmas first, they are around 4 months old if I had to guess. Someone gave me the banties, they were wild and hung out in trees. Don't know anything about them except they are not full grown. The person that gave them to me didn't know anything about them and didn't know they were roos.

I know I'm going to have to "cull" by dark brahma roos and I had planned on doing the same with the bantams, cause I didn't think I really had any other choice.

The guy at the feed store said people like them and said I could bring them to him. He didn't think they would be butchered, but pets. So I was going to do that today but when I let everyone out to clean the pen I was watching them and they are so cute. I can give them to him later when problems arise.

If I had it to do over I think I would not have trimmed their wings, I would just let them loose in my yard. But I did trim their wings.

How long do you think my little flock is going to remain in harmony? Everyone seems to be tolerant of each other so far, there was one fight but nobody got hurt. Sometimes the big ones chase the little ones but they don't bother to go far. Sometimes they all scratch together.

The little bantie hen and one of the little roos seems to be an item. I am curious to see if I can keep a little roo in my yard. My neighbors don't care about my chickens, but I won't keep them after they get excessivly noisy.




My long term plan is to cull the large roos, and get some biddies in Jan when the feed store gets them in. I have my choice of sexed biddies from several varieties of foul. I want SLW, BO, and light brahmas out of the list.

I don't want my single brahma hen to be lonely, that's why I was planning on keeping the banty hen. My new plan is to keep all 3 banties until chaoes ensues, then I will get rid of the banty roos.

I was thinking of taking just the one roo to the feed store and keeping the little banty couple for awhile. They are so cute, even if they are quite wild.


Any thoughts about my plans or what I should expect?

 

[Judy]

As for how long they will remain in harmony, sounds like they have already gotten through the worst of establishing the pecking order. Of course you will see problems when the roos mature enough to start mating the hens because there are too many,

 

[mcostas]

I handled them some today. They are so cute! I didn't want bantems but my coworker didn't know any better. I wondered why people kept them, I thought they were useless.

but they are so cute!

The little hen ate some scratch that I offered her after I caught her, so that's a start. Here are their pics.

The little hen has feathers on her legs like my brahmas, I wonder if she has banty brahma in her? The little redhead rooster seems to be the wildest. The other little rooster is the one that stood up to the others till he got the smackdown (nobody was hurt).

the brahmas seem pretty tolerant, if the little ones get too close, they start to strut over to them, then forget what they are doing and get back to scratching.

awwwww, look at those big eyes.

 

[mcostas]

Today I let them all out together. The big ones came out on their own but I closed the door and placed each bantam out by hand, calming it before I let it walk off. They all went to the garden area and scratched together. I stood among them with my rack and fluffed the leaves and dirt for them. They eventually got so relaxed that I could stand relativly close to them while they scratched.

Then I got treats for them. I tossed the treats out so the little ones could gets some without getting near the mob. I went in for a little nap and when I woke up it was dark. I went outside and they all had put themselves in the pen!! This is a first, usually my big ones pile up whereever they are, I have to lead them in the run before it gets dark or carry them in. The little ones were in the coop and the big ones piled on the ground!

So I'm making progress. It's funny cause the little ones show no fear of my chicken friendly doggies, but thier greatest fear is of humans. I don't know how long I will be able to keep them, but it's nice to enjoy them in the meantime.

I have 5 teenage roosters, and no crowing or bloodbaths. One of the little ones attempted a hoarse little crow on night, nothing earth shattering. THe brahmas are like big babies.

 

[coloradochick]

They are cuties

 

[Sillystunt]

I have found my bantams oegb's are the smartest chickens i have. they are super sweet and once they trust you, they will run for you when you walk by the pen. i reach in and pet all of mine in the morning.

 

[gryeyes]

There's just something so adorable about midget chickens. I was not previously interested in bantam breeds AT ALL until I saw some bantam cochins. Oh my. Did my heart melt, then! And then I saw a Silver Sebright.

So, now, in my very varied flock of large fowl, I also have two Silver Sebright roos, a Silver Sebright pullet, a Golden Sebright pullet, some bantam cochins, a bantam Buff Brahma roo, and two bantam EE pullets.

And some bantam chicks of some breed or another in my brooder, plus in some of my incubators.

I love the large fowl, but the bantams are just so fun to watch amongst the big chickens. Also, since I didn't get chickens for their eggs to begin with, I don't mind that some of my layers will produce little bitty eggs.

Of course, they DO fly. And I don't intend to clip anybody's wings. If they need to get away from something (everybody ranges freely), I want them to have that advantage.

The bantam roosters do NOT know they are little fellas. But then again, neither do my dachshunds!

 

[mcostas]

today I put some catfood on a paper plate and they all ate it together, even the little ones! Every now and then a brahama will act like he is going to chase one but the banty will move away and all is forgotten.

These ones can still fly a bit, even with clipped wings. I don't want them flying out of the yard. Time will tell. I think Conan (that what I named the red one) and zoey (the hen) made sweet love today. Or tried to. That's what it looked like anyway. I thought the other one was her beau.

They all seem to get along so well, but I think it's the calm before the storm. Things will probably change when puberty hits hard. I have some sort of plan, butcher the brahmas and take the bantem roos to the feed store to rehome. I'm getting biddies at the end of january, hopefully I won't have to deal with roos anymore. It's tough to get attached to an animal knowing you have to get rid of it.

I'm going to take some pics this week of them all scratching in the garden together.