One of our 2 bantams turned out to be a rooster, is this okay?

[emmaayubi]

Hi everyone,

One of our bantams, our friendliest bird, has turned out to be a rooster! This is okay with us, but I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting into here.
We have 6 hens, 5 of them are standard sized and 1 is a bantam, plus the 1 bantam rooster. My main concern is the number of hens, and the fact that we only have 1 bantam hen. If he has trouble mating with the standard hens, will he only mate with the bantam hen? I'm a little concerned for her. If that is the case, should I build a separate coop for our roo to make sure the bantam hen stays happy and healthy? So far we are leaving everyone together - they are about 8 weeks old and I haven't noticed any concerning behavior yet, except for our roo puffing up his neck at the hens every now and then.

If we do need to get more hens, do I need to wait until they are older before adding new chickens into the group?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Lobo123]

The number of hens a rooster needs varies mostly on breed and temperament. Look out for signs of over mating when they become sexually active.

Your cockerel will try to mate with every female, no matter the size. That being said, your cockerel could target his "favorite" girl. This can be the bantam hen or even a standard hen he really wants to mate. Consider separating the rooster part-time during the day or investing in chicken aprons if this is a problem. Adding more hens would not work in this situation.

Please make sure you have enough space! More space gives a cockerel less opportunity to mate and the hens more area to escape.

It's always a good idea to have a backup plan in case your cockerel is mischievous for whatever reason. Whether you remove or separate, the choice will be yours.

You can add more hens if you wish. I've added chickens to a flock of various ages. Just make sure to follow proper introduction procedures.

Please, don't mistake a friendly cockerel with a daring one. There have been many people on this site where their "friendly" cockerel suddenly turns aggressive. I would start to distance myself from him. You can still enjoy your cockerel but have some limitations.

 

[emmaayubi]

The number of hens a rooster needs varies mostly on breed and temperament. Look out for signs of over mating when they become sexually active.

Your cockerel will try to mate with every female, no matter the size. That being said, your cockerel could target his "favorite" girl. This can be the bantam hen or even a standard hen he really wants to mate. Consider separating the rooster part-time during the day or investing in chicken aprons if this is a problem. Adding more hens would not work in this situation.

Please make sure you have enough space! More space gives a cockerel less opportunity to mate and the hens more area to escape.

It's always a good idea to have a backup plan in case your cockerel is mischievous for whatever reason. Whether you remove or separate, the choice will be yours.

You can add more hens if you wish. I've added chickens to a flock of various ages. Just make sure to follow proper introduction procedures.

Please, don't mistake a friendly cockerel with a daring one. There have been many people on this site where their "friendly" cockerel suddenly turns aggressive. I would start to distance myself from him. You can still enjoy your cockerel but have some limitations.

Thanks for all the info! Interesting to hear that they can suddenly turn aggressive - when we go into the coop and kneel down, he usually hops up on our shoulder or leg and roosts there until we leave.

Our coop is 6'x6'x4' and the run is about 12'x12'x8', which I think is plenty big even if we wanted to add some more chickens. I think right now our backup plan is to get him a small separate coop if there are any issues. Then we can limit the time they spend together. Do you think being in his own smaller coop could cause worse aggression issues?

 

[Lobo123]

Cockerels are usually overly aggressive to pullets during their hormonal teenage years. They are also sexually mature much faster than pullets. This is common but should not be tolerated. I would separate him during this time period if he acts this way until he matures a bit more and the pullets began laying.

Will separation cause aggression? No. I would set it up so they can see each other.

 

[MotherOHens]

I started with 4 chicks. 3 SF and 1 bantam... and my banty turned out to be a cockerel!

He is an exceptionally sweet boy. His hormones have made him a little more... chatty and flighty, but he hasn't gotten really aggressive-- more 'emo teenager' He squawks off after I catch and cuddle him, he sasses up sometimes when I move the girls without his approval, and he has danced for me.
My response..? I cuddled him extra and painted his toenails!

Because he is smaller, my three ladies have more of a say. He always dances. He has gotten flustered because they didn't feel sparks when he did and he has pecked their necks. They peck back. I did separate them for about a month and put him back after they started

Because of ... well... size differences, he really hasn't figured out how to manage things to line up but it doesn't seem to deter him. He is a determined little guy.

I felt badly for him-- and my girls-- Not because he was rough or ungentlemanly but because either side can't be happy. I figured it'd be a good idea to get some hens where things would work out easier. So I bought 7 cochin bantam chicks-- All but one is a girl. I hope in the spring that he will have better luck.

 

[aart]

when we go into the coop and kneel down, he usually hops up on our shoulder or leg and roosts there until we leave.

Exactly what you should not do....you are allowing him to 'dominate' you.

Our coop is 6'x6'x4'

Just right for the birds you have, would not try to add more.