Mixing bantams with Standards?

[Summer98]

Is it ok to have bantam sized chickens living with large, standard chickens? Or will the large chickens take out the bantams?

 

[Debbi]

I think a lot of it is how they are raised. If brooded together, you may have a better chance of them all getting along. If introducing one breed to an already established breed, whether big or small, you may have problems. It may also depend on the breeds in question. My Marans are very territorial towards other new birds, even their own kind. I also have Silkies, but keep them seperately due to the bullying nature of the Marans. Maybe if you tell us what breeds you have, may help?

 

[gryeyes]

My flock is full of both bantams and large fowl and some VERY large fowl, and the bantams are just fine. They move fast, plus they can fly, so they are able to scoot around the larger birds if necessary. They have all grown up as chicks, and I continue to have chicks hatch (8 yesterday) so I THINK the chickens just don't see any difference... the big ones were little once, and the little ones are little and just don't grow as big as the others. They're all chickens (except for the ducks and geese).

 

[Johnn]

all my chickens are standard breeds, and i introduced one ancona bantam shes 6th in the pecking order out of ten, she does have a tough time with the ones abover her but shes never been beat up or injured just gets pecks

 

[Debbi]

Keep in mind, some bantams, like Silkies, don't fly! Silkies, and other crested breeds, also have a hard time seeing, so they won't see that bully coming up on them, like say maybe a Barred Rock Banty would.

 

[Kevin565]

I think it's going to really depend on what breed the standard are and what breed the bantam are.

 

[yoie]

It can be done, but like the previous poster stated it all depends on the breed and the individual chickens. I have a very large Cochin rooster in the same pen as a little bantam Modern game hen. They weren't raised together as chicks, but my rooster is a real sweetheart and just loves the girls, he doesn't care what size.
These were a few pictures I took to show the size difference to my family on FB.
Mini my Bantam Hen

Krull my Rooster

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It is not uncommon for some of my smaller silkies to terrorize birds three times ther size. Larger birds seem to have less ambition for "proving" themselves.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
Sonoran, so so true. I have d'uccles, Silkies, a few OEGBs under 2 lbs, a few mutt banties, a polish standard, EE standards, and standard brahmas (my roo weighs around 13.5 lbs now)... Want to guess who is the boss out of them all? My silkies and 1 of the OEGB hens. Out of my 5 roosters I can free range everyone together this time of year when I'm not hatching anything or selling any eggs...My oldest silkie rooster Pika is the boss of them all. That big brahma rooster is scared poopless of that silkie that is under a 4th his size, and they get along great unless the brahma starts dancing for one of the bantam girls, or goes in the wrong pen...

Now that said all the other roosters I have now with 1 exception were raised from chicks here, and under the oldest roo. SO they grew up knowing their places...Anytime I bring in anyone male or female - thats new and bigger...They have a hard time for awhile fitting into the established pecking order of each pen and the entire group as a whole on free range time. I rarely have anything other than a hackled up scuffle or some pecking order disputes, nothing big or bloody. BUT I would not keep crested breeds housed in the same pen and coop with large fowl, unless they have LOTS of room and hiding spots for bantams to get away from bigger chickens if need be. My bantams and largefowl are typically housed seperately, but they free range together. I would not trust some of mine penned in a small area together to get along well for long even though they did grow up together.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:


You've obviously never had Marans!

My pullets/hens are far more treacherous than any of the roosters! Then again, I do have a 5 month old Silkie cockerel, that will violently fence fight with any of the Marans cockerels three times his size! Albeit, they are seperated by a fence, but this little guy has a serious Napolian complex!

God help him if I turned him loose with the Marans hens, they would kill him and/or his attitude, I'm quite sure.