I thought I saw a post here somewhere that said you could. Wouldn't the larger hens pick on the banties?
Can you keep bantams and regular chickens together?
Yes .
We do here in Aus .
I have both together with no problem. Only because they have been together since they were baby chicks though. They can be raised together, but not added after they are older.
My flock would beat up on any newcommer to the coup, whether it was a banty or full size. Some of the banties are really bossy over newcomers that are much bigger than they are. It's all a matter of the pecking order, rather than size usually.
I agree
Its all in the pecking order
I have bantam and large fowl running together
the problem is never who is a bantam
its who is boss
Oh So True!!!! You can however, introduce them by having the Newbies in a separate caging area,where they can "talk" and interact with the Old ones! Then gradually let them join the Flock! I have done this many times, with no problem,except for one old Sultan Rooster! My Older Girls just loved to Steal his chest Feathers and Pick his funny little 5 Toes!!! So I built him a separate run and house. Now he has his own "Girls", that love him and never ever Pick!!!!!
Oh that's so funny. They stole his chest feathers and picked at his toes. haha. I guess he just wasn't their idea of a hunk. LOL
But like the old saying goes, "there's a lid somewhere that fits every old pot". Glad he got him some girls that see him in another light.
Crazy how we end up building so many runs and houses according to who likes who in the flock. I've got 4 different areas now. That's so nutty...............I only wanted a 'couple' of chickens when I started out.
Chicken collecting seems to be quite addictive, dosen't it. LOL
Thanks, y'all for your help. Love the rooster story. LOL I guess the whole bantams issue is moot anyway, because I didn't realize the place selling the chicks only sells the bantams as straight run. I don't want to end up with a passel of ferocious little bantie roosters.
" Now, I Have to differ with You, I My dear, AM a Hunk"!!!! "I'm too Pretty for my Shirt, too pretty for my hat,too...." ,
True, your don't want a whole bantieboy party? A Boy Bantieband, perhaps?
Anyway, I have to say that my bantams and my big gals get along fine. I raised the first ones together and there was no problem. Then I introduced 4 bantams to my flock ( there were only 2 left at that point one silkie and one standard wyandotte) then I brought in 3 standard gals as young'uns and I had no problem. Then I introduced 3 more silkie and had no problem. I added one full grown standard hen to the flock and it was easy ~ even easier than adding young'uns. and next I plan on adding three more standard gals (young) and anticipate no problem.
so I am 110% behind saying if it ever arises again, go for it. I've had great luck mixing all types and breeds.
See, this is how it starts! CockleLooloo decided to check out the youngsters!! He actually was chirping to them!
He didnt move for a long while . The chicks came over and looked at him and wondered off! CockleLooloo decided that they were okay and then went his merry way! Although he does come back over every so often to check on them!
I have been thinking about getting a few bantams to live along with my Americanas and Polish Chresteds. But, I worry about hawks taking them. My yard gets visited by migrating and native hawks, so I worry about getting bantams.
Anyone else have hawk issues?
Good to see you on here ginger749. We in Arizona use a lot of Austrailian plants, as our climates are similar.
hawks and More Hawks! My Bantams have to be in a bird netted topped Yard! Banties are fast but a sneak attack by a Super Hunter Hawk, No Competition!
Around here any chicken can get taken by a hawk, bantam or non. I say go for it. Having a flight netted, or chicken wire covered yard is a good idea, though.
I lost most of mine to an owl before I realized it was an air assault after raizing my coop from 3' to 5' and still loosing leghorns when I went out at 3:30 in the morning and saw a large barred owl sitting on the hen house. I then moved them in to a 10' x10' dog kennel with netting over it. I let them out in the morning and they would come back at night until one day they roosted in the rafters of my loafing shed and I let them along for the rest of the summer. By this time I only had one bantam rooster and two leghorn hens. A couple of months later I went out and saw one hen with a hawk on her through some rocks and ran but she was dead. The two left became Ricky and Lucy as they are a solid couple now and they are survivors. I bought a flight net 100' x 25' but have not put it up yet as I would like for it to be more than 6' high and have not decided what would be the best frame for my 80' x 22' coop. I now have 4 more leghorns 3 of which are roosters unfortunately. I got 25 st run French Guineas in the mail yesterday that I would like to let free range. Sorry for being so long winded and a bit off subject. I would like to hear what others have used to support flight netting in any. Thanks, Mike PS, I think I lost two cats to the owl also.
Oh My Goodness,excelrealty, You have had a time of it! I wish you better luck in the future! I think My netting messed up the pair of young Hawks, from training on My chickens! They were so young that they would actually fly into the dog panels and fall to the ground! Once i got the netting up they would get either tangled or hurt, so they quit coming by! That doesnt mean that they have given up, only that they havent figured it out yet!
The netting Im using is pretty tough gauge and I have it reinforced with a double netting, plus Chicken wire for support around the edges! I'm thinking about buying the canopy covers this summer!
Good Luck with the new Guineas!
E.
Thanks E
I've heard from someone here that peacocks are very good at keeping hawks away. And from others that a goose or two does the same thing.