Mixing standards and bantams

[Mr. Ree]

I, personally, have crossed bantam birds with standard birds and had no problems. Although, it was always a bantam male over a standard female. I was afraid that the standard male would either kill the hen by trying to mate with her, or the chick would be to big in the bantam sized egg to grow properly. I am actually going to be doing this later int he year with Cochins, im crossing a bantam Frizzle Cochin over a smooth Standad Hen to get SQ Standard Cochin Frizzles.


~Casey

 

[chickenranchwife]

Thanks for the info Casey, as my hens are standard and by cochin is bantam.

 

[Hotwings]

Bantams are good little broodies too. I know of some of them that hatch some full size barred rock eggs and raised the chicks. Nothing funnier than seeing this huge chick trying to snuggle under his bantam foster mama's wing! Bantams are great flyers and are usually to quick for a full size rooster to get. They may be little but they are big in attitude. I love the little bantams.

 

[chickenranchwife]

I've kind of noticed that they stand right up to the big guy. I let Jack go out with the girls and Eddie for a little while, and Eddie tries to take him down and he just goes right under him. It's pretty funny.

 

[Agilityscots]

Well, if all goes as planned, I'll be getting 3 bantam araucana hens and one roo, all adults. So maybe we'll have chickies here this spring!

Amy

 

[seedcorn]

to answer your question, it's not high risk but a risk. No big deal, if it doesn't work, you seperate them. It all depends on how dominant your standard hens are.

Would I try, if I like the araucana's, yes I would.

 

[Nugget]

I have a sweet little bantam game hen living with 2 standard hens and 1 standard rooster. Things have been great until now. I had to bring the bantam into the house today with an open bleeding wound on the neck, a torn comb and a bruised, swollen eye from the rooster mounting her. I'm not sure what to do now... whether to make her a house chicken, or confine or rehome the rooster.

 

[amazondoc]

I'm glad to see this thread --

One of the possibilities I've been thinking of for my future flock is to have standard heavy breed hens -- probably a Wyandotte/Orpington/EE/Welsummer mix -- with a bantam cochin roo. I'm lusting for a frizzled partridge bantam cochin rooster.

In my case, I DON'T want chicks -- I just want the roo to admire, and to help me keep order in the flock. We'll see what I end up with when it actually comes time to purchase!

 

[Break an Egg]

Try putting the new ones in the coop at night, I heard this works, when they all wake up, they should be fine.

 

[herechickchick]

I have my bantam Araucanas in with my standard laying flock and they are fine. I will be moving them out for breeding once I get thier new coop done, but they are fine. The little rooster is tufted and no one has picked on his tufts so I say do it.