Mixing banties with standards in a flock - what are your thoughts?

[LizzzyJo]

I am picking up 3 sebrights tomorrow and am wondering if I can mix them in with my standard hens after quarantine. What are your thoughts?

 

[Little Chicken Mama]

My grandpa has a mixed flock and they do just fine together!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people have mixed flocks of bantams and full sized fowl with no real issues, some have a disaster when they try that. Some people have flocks of nothing but Buff Orpingtons (or any other full sized breed) and have no real issues, some have disasters either during integration or just having them together. Some people have flocks of nothing but Sebrights (or any other bantam) and have no real issues, others have disasters.

My thoughts are that if you really want to try, then try. Use best integration practices like plenty of room. clutter, see but don't touch, multiple feed and water stations, patience, and whatever else fits with your conditions and set-ups. Then observe and base your actions on what you see.

 

[Little Chicken Mama]

Some people have mixed flocks of bantams and full sized fowl with no real issues, some have a disaster when they try that. Some people have flocks of nothing but Buff Orpingtons (or any other full sized breed) and have no real issues, some have disasters either during integration or just having them together. Some people have flocks of nothing but Sebrights (or any other bantam) and have no real issues, others have disasters.

My thoughts are that if you really want to try, then try. Use best integration practices like plenty of room. clutter, see but don't touch, multiple feed and water stations, patience, and whatever else fits with your conditions and set-ups. Then observe and base your actions on what you see.

You put that in way better words than I ever could've

 

[sourland]

Some people have mixed flocks of bantams and full sized fowl with no real issues, some have a disaster when they try that. Some people have flocks of nothing but Buff Orpingtons (or any other full sized breed) and have no real issues, some have disasters either during integration or just having them together. Some people have flocks of nothing but Sebrights (or any other bantam) and have no real issues, others have disasters.

My thoughts are that if you really want to try, then try. Use best integration practices like plenty of room. clutter, see but don't touch, multiple feed and water stations, patience, and whatever else fits with your conditions and set-ups. Then observe and base your actions on what you see.

Well said. I can only add have a 'Plan B' in mind in case it does not work.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The biggest problem in my experience is when you have a standard male and some of the smaller bantam females. He's still going to mount them, whether he's 4 pounds or 10 pounds, and that's a lot of weight for a little 2 pound female to take on her back

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've seen bantams mixed with standards before, and they did fine. It's usually a bantam rooster with a flock of standards.

As far as with my bantams, they stayed separate except for when free-ranging. Then it was the bantams who would pick on the standards. One of the bantams, a Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantam hen named Libby, aka Queen Libby, was known to sneak up behind a standard Buff Orpington and grab the BO by the hackles and hold on for a free ride as the BO sqwacked as it ran across the yard.

 

[Mellowmalt]

ok I voted 1 because I didn't feel voting for 2 or 3 was right. I believe bantams need different sized feeders, different sized laying boxes, different sized coops and ideally they should be enclosed at all times because they can fly well and are a risk from overhead predators. For those reasons I believe bantams should be treated differently. I have seen them kept together with bigger hens and once they are older they can be feisty so I'm sure they wouldn't not do fine.
Considering serama's only lay 50 eggs in a year it might not really be an issue with them, there is no point making them their own coop and they can squeeze wherever they want without taking up too much space.
oh wait I misread that it is sebrights. They do lay a respectable amount of eggs so as long as they use the next boxes (not bullied out by the bigger ones) then its ok but if you have to go hunting for their eggs thats less ideal.

Ps: they should still be housed seperately till they are egg laying age.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I did not vote, as I could not find the answer that fit for me.
With pullets/hens, I personally would only mix bantams with standards if the birds are raised together. Possibly older if none of the birds are laying age yet yet.
Different scenario if introducing a bantam rooster to a standard flock.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I have bantams and standard mixed together, but I'm going to be separating them soon. The reason I'm separating them is because I have two roosters, and my standard rooster is mounting my bantam hen. However, if you have all girls, then it should work, as long as you do the integration properly.