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superjules

Mixing bantams and hybrids

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After having the bantams for just over a week now, today I let them have a 30min roam around in the big run with the hybrids. It was quite surprising - Yum-yum the pekin stood up to Sylvie, my silver nick, Bossy the Wyandotte isn't as brave as I thought she was and didn't stand up to anyone. Bumble just stayed out of everyone's way.

 

All in all it went quite well, a couple of pecks here and there but no feathers lost. The bantams seem quick enough to avoid the big girls and there are several hiding places they can retreat to if they have had enough. I'll try doing this every day for 2 weeks (weather permitting) then I might try leaving them to choose which house to sleep in and with who. :wink:

 

Please could anyone who has mixed hybrids and bantams give me any further tips? Will the bantams always need their own housing and run?

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I allow mine to roam around the garden together and until a few days ago, they all went back to their own houses at night. One of my ex-batts was absent from her cube on Wednesday night and so I looked around the other houses to find her in the eglu pecking the bantams heads. For that reason I am going to keep them separate but you may have a different experience with yours.

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I think it depends on the individual hens. My late Speckledy was fine with her bantam friend Angelica (I think I saw her administer a single "top hen peck" maybe half a dozen times in eighteen months), but as you know Pepper, my big cross-bred bantam, seems bent on terrorising the pekins :evil:

 

Funny you should say that your Bossy isn't as brave as you thought. My Angelica is the same - all mouth and no trousers! :lol: At the same time, she's big enough that Pepper didn't bully her very much, just a bit of feather-tugging to let her know who was boss!

 

I would just play it by ear if I were you - if there's been no out-and-out violence, they might all get along together in the long term. Just hang on to your spare run in case it doesn't go according to plan!

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You can only give it a go. Some people have problems others its fine.

ine all get on with no problems. No bullying full stop. I think it more of a problem if you have elaboratly feathered bantams as I found that didnt work cause they do get pecked. but otherwise take ti slowly, and then like others suggested let them choose where they want to go to bed and see what they want to do.

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I have had exactly the same issues, just bought two hybrids and three pekin bantums. Whilst in the run or free ranging all is fine, they squabble a bit when treats are given but nothing to worry about. The trouble starts at bed time when they all go in the cube, my hybrids peck and peck constantly at the bantums who are cowering in the corner. I have watched and left alone for nearly a week, but cant take it any more. For the last two nights i have put the hybrids into a separate house at night, then put them back into the cube run with the others during the day.

This has worked fine, not quite the easy life i wanted, with all the juggling. I am hoping that in time it will all calm down.

With all i have read about mixing these breeds, this is quite normal. I love the hybrids because they are good layers and amusing, and the bantums are great for my kids to handle, so i will persevere with them all.

Good luck with yours.

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Thanks lws. Looks like I need to watch out at bedtime then. I might just keep them separate for the forseeable. I wouldn't like to think of any of them being bullied and having nowhere to go. I might just have the eglu as a bantam only area and trellis in the entrance to make it small enough that only the littlies can get in so they have somewhere to retreat to. The big girls can manage in the wooden house.

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Since my last posting on this subject, thought i would give an update, (hope you are still monitoring). My hybrids spent two nights in the other house (sin bin) but last night, i watched when they went to bed and it was so so much better, only one or two pecks and nothing more, they settle much better, so i decided to let them be. I really have my fingers crossed, but maybe two nights in the sin bin put them straight! (are chickens really that intelligent? probably not!).

Anyway hope yours are all ok.

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That's good news, lws!

 

Have to say that mine are better behaved since I separated them - Pepper is still bullying the pekins a bit but at least she isn't jumping on them any more (touch wood!) and she's a lot more deferential towards me since I started breaking up their fights. I think she may have finally accepted me as her new owner and surrogate cockerel :)

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Here we are, two weeks on. All my girls are roaming around their run together, scratching away, with no trouble. The bantams have still got their eglu to themselves, but I might take away the eglu run tomorrow, although I'll put something in the way of the eglu door to stop the big girls getting in, esp. while Bossy is laying (she takes forever!).

 

I have to say I'm so relieved. When I first brought them home I had a real attack of "What have I done?!" :( The bantams, who looked a good size at the poultry centre, seemed so small compared to my big hybrids. If I could have caught them I would have put them all straight back in the box and returned them! :roll:

 

How's things with you, Eyren? I was speaking to Karl at Thorne's today and he said that pekins are notorious for not taking any nonsense from another chicken, no matter how big!

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