Mixing large and small chickens

[robbdebbie]

Hello, I will be recieving my chicks Mon or Tues. I ordered all Bantam breeds, but I am also looking for some older Buff Orpingtons. My coop should be done this week, and I want to put the started Orpingtons in the coop. Will there be a big problem having full size chickens and banties in the same coop? It doesn't get colder than 80 at night, so I am hoping to put the chicks out in the coop in about a month. Any advice?

 

[Mahonri]

I don't mix my younger birds with my older birds until they are at least 16 weeks.... but 18 weeks would be even better.

 

[gocrow77]

I don't have any troubles from my mixed LF and bantam flock - and I think most others have the same to say. I doubt you will have issues especially if they are "growing up" together or adjusting to the same coop/run area at the same time. Best of luck to you!

 

[monathequeen]

Absolutely..do not keep the smaller ones with the bigger ones until well matured...16 weeks sounds good to me.

 

[robbdebbie]

Okay, if there are matured birds don't mix them until at least 16 weeks. What if I were to get large breed chicks? Can I put them together earlier? Thanks again for all of the info.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

We just built another divided coop with a nursery run on one side and a large pen on the other side for my silkies. I would be very hessitant to mix older chicks in with younger chicks, especially if we are talking 3 to 4 weeks or more difference in their ages. I have 23 3 week olds, 19 1 week olds, and 25+ less than a week old chicks right now that I have all separated. I have about 10 more hatching in the incubator and another 45 to hatch out in 10 days in another incubator!

I have several bantam hens setting and another hen in a separate brooder with 12 newly hatched babies of her own!

If they are close to the same age and brooded together they tend to do just fine. I would just be afraid that the older chicks would pick on the little guys, just like kids do!

 

[robbdebbie]

Thanks for all of the info. I will wait a bit to get the larger pullets then. My coop is going to be 8x8, so I should have plenty of space to seperate it out a bit. Thanks again!

 

[19hhbelgian]

M thinkng it's because of their size at that age. You don't want your big girls/boys picking on the younger smaller ones. I'm very careful when integrating my "kids" with the grown-ups. I just recently put 2 if my little girls in with my older hens. First I kept them in a dog kennel in the coop, then I would let them out with the big girls while iwas sitting in the coop with them. I had no problems integrating...good luck!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd suggest reading this article. It seems perfect for your application.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

Many people have bantams and full sized fowl together and have no problems. Don't be surprised that the bantams are closer to the top of the pecking order than the full sized fowl. Once they are mature, it is the spirit in the chicken more than the size.

Good luck!

 

[NuthatchKnollChickens]

I can't comment on the bantam vs large fowl aspect of the question, but in my experience the fact that the older girls you're getting are Orpingtons will work in your favor. I purchased a group of day-old Barred Rocks at the end of April and integrated them into my existing flock of year-old Buff Orpingtons with no trouble at all. Once the Rocks were out of the brooder I kept them in a separate part of the main coop where they could all get used to each other without getting at each other, then gradually let them interact for longer and longer periods. They are all living together happily now and the Barred Rocks are only 8 weeks old. They have plenty of room in both the coop and their run, and in the afternoons they all free range together. Orpingtons are a notably docile breed and I think that made a very big difference.