Should I separate my bantam girls from my standard roo?

[Robin'sBrood]

I only have 4 chickens - 1 SLW roo, 1 BA hen, and 2 Millie Fleur d'Uccle hens. They are about 11 months old and have lived together since I brought them home as little chicks last May. They get along fine but my roo has started hurting my little girls now that they have started laying again. I hear them scream multiple times every day and one of them is missing a lot of feathers from her neck area. There are no missing feathers on their backs, just the back of their necks where he grabs them and they try desperately to get away from him. Last year, when they all first started mating, he was so gentle with them and they never screamed or pulled feathers out trying to escape his grasp. I witnessed him mating with them so I know it was happening. My BA, who is twice the size of the Millies, doesn't scream when he mates with her. I have a tractor that I could put the two bantams in to keep them separated from my roo. It is inside the run so they could be with him without being accessible to him. What would you do?

 

[SportTees]

I'm getting Bantams and would like to know the answer to this to. Have you ever hatched the eggs from a bantam and standard?

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I let one of my banties sit on a nest of 9 eggs for 4 weeks (she hid her eggs from my DH while I was out of town) and not one of them hatched. So, I don't know if my roo is successful with his attempts to mate with the little girls, or if she didn't keep the eggs warm enough. I'd rather hatch eggs from my BA anyway.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

This pic is from last October.

I think he is a bit bigger than this now. I hate to hear my little ones screaming every day.

 

[ibpboo]

I think I would separate them. Roos can get awfully aggressive when they get older. If he is starting to tear them up, it will probably only get worse. And if you aren't looking to have them hatch eggs, there isn't a reason to have them in with a roo.
They are all so pretty, good luck!

oops, a typo

 

[Hotwings]

I have known bantam hens to coexist with standard roos before. Usually the bantam hens are to agile for a standard roo. Bantams fly very well. Does your standard roo have access to standard hens. I used to know some mille fleur hens that just loved their barred rock roo. They never mated as they were to quick for him but they loved him just the same and would sit by him and etc.

 

[ibpboo]

There you go, two totally different answers. There really is no right or wrong answer, mainly personal preference. I have a banty hen that lives with my standard hens, and she is very good at defending herself, stands up to the others well. I free range my chickens daily. At first the banty hen did not put herself away with the other hens, she chose to sleep in the barn. this lasted for a few months, but now she chooses to live with the big girls!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
They all get along fine with him, until he grabs them by the neck and they fight with all they're worth to get away with him. If it wasn't raining cats and dogs today I'd get a pic of the feather loss on Milly's neck. Poor girl.

ibpboo, my banties sleep with my standards too. I've noticed the standards go to bed first followed by the banties. It seems the pecking order is greatly influenced by size in my chickens' situation.

I think I'll try putting the banties in the tractor for a day (when the rain goes away) and see what they do. I have a feeling they're all going to freak out over it... and my roo will be making his distressed sound over 2 of his girls being out of his control

... but I'll see how it goes.

But, should I leave the tractor in the run, or move it out?

 

[SportTees]

Can a Bantam and Standard make eggs that will hatch?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Quote:
Roos will usually go for anything that doesn't move quick enough-living or not. Hens will probably put up a fight, depending on what side of the size difference they're on, but they will eventually fall victom to the roo.

l should know, all of my roos are bantams to prevent the problem this threat is based on. Most of the girls are banties, as well. Some are not. But yes, all will mate together whatever the size difference and I've successfully hatched babies from standard mothers, bantam dads. Whoever had stronger genes will decide how big the offspring will grow.

Hope this helps!