Will they get picked on?

[gotpoodle]

I'm making a list (and checking it twice!) of chicks I will order for spring. I'm interested in standard clean-legged hens, but wanted a bantam buff brahma as well. Is she more likely to get picked on by the big birds because of her size and fuzzy legs?

 

[CMV]

She may get picked on for her size, but probably not for her legs. My smallest hen always got picked on. She was too sweet to fight back. If your new bantam is tiny and sweet she's likely going to be targeted, but if she's tiny and feisty then she'll be able to hold her own. Good luck.

 

[gotpoodle]

Thanks! Do you think it would help to get two banties? (it wouldn't take much to talk me into another one!) Are they more likely to stick together?

 

[Picky Chicky]

I would recommend getting two banties.

In my standard hens, the banty girls were always at the bottom of the pecking order, but as a duo they held their own. They kind of looked out for one another. Then one went broody on me and that ended their little friendship. Later, we kept one of the broody banty's hatchlings and now the two of them are sticking together (the baby is now 8mos old). When the baby was big enough, I put her and Momma in together with everyone and it took the baby about month before the bigger girls would leave her alone, but Momma hen always tried to stand up for her.

Oh yes, and over the fall I got a 4th banty - this time a silkie... and she is sweet and tame. Oddly enough nobody messes with her. Maybe the fur like feathers freak them out? It's kind of sad though - while they don't mess with her, she seems like the loner of the group. I'm thinking about getting her a silkie buddy this spring. We'll see.

Wow... sorry for the long drawn out note. I'm not sufficiently caffeinated yet this morning.

 

[The Chicken People]

I have one bantam ad six larger birds and LIL BIt gets picked on! Get her a friend or two!

 

[gotpoodle]

Okay, thanks! This is the kind of info I was looking for...and the drawn out stories are great; they give me a better visual! LOL!