Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Redwing]

My husband has fallen in love with bantams.

 

I have two questions:

 

Can you keep them in with larger chickens?

 

If I did need separate acommodation would the standard Eglu run at two metres be sufficient for a small number of bantams? (my current chickens have a converter but they are obviously bigger so need the extra space)

 

This is a slippery slope - you did warn me I suppose!

[The Dogmother]

You'll have to make a return visit in the daylight and see mine!

 

It is very difficult to integrate the two and get them living happily together - it has happened, but I wouldn't try it; I'd recommend 2 separate flocks.

 

Is this the OH who wasn't sure about chickens in the first place?

[beach chick]

I've had a different experience than Claret - I've got 3 silkie bantams living happily with 5 big girls!

 

the integration sounds a bit complicated but wasnt really:

- got 3 8 wk old silkies and 1 8 wk old white sussex (all the same size at the time)

- a week later got an 18 wk old white leghorn and 18 wk old marans

- the 2 'old girls' free ranged while the newbies were housed in 2 separate places (the babies in the wendy house with netting stapled over the door, the pol girls in a rabbit hutch).

- after 4-5 weeks I had them all integrated (eating together and freeranging together) and moved the whole kit and caboodle into our new electric fenced set up.

 

I dont know if it worked for us because I was introducing 6 newbies to 2 old girls at effectively the same time, or because the 2 old girls wanted to be part of the flock again, but it's worked out fine for us.

[Louisdog]

I keep bantams with big hens without any problems, you have to be careful with intros though and probably good to have extra room. Are you thinking your bantams would go in your existing eglu with the biggies? How many would you get and what sort? On balance it is probably easier if you can start a new separate flock to be honest.

[Redwing]

Thanks for your comments!

 

I am pretty open about how we go about this. We are planning to build a reasonable size walk in run so I would like them all to be together maybe in a cube and keep the Eglu for intros or I am equally happy to buy another Eglu and keep them separate - I have plenty of room in the garden.

 

I am thinking 3-4 bantams (all girls)

 

And yes Claret - this is the husband who was not sure about the whole thing in the first place! Christian persuaded him that hen keeping is tons of fun on one of his hen keeping courses and OH has been really enthusiastic since! (thanks Christian )

[Louisdog]

Not sure if you can wait this long but if you have the banties in the walk-in run for a couple of weeks then add the big girls in ones or twos, you may get less problems compared with adding littlies to big girls' territory.

 

Let us know what you end up doing

[likeastar--x]

i recently introduced 2 bantams to my 3 girls and they get on great. it takes a little longer than with another chicken, but dont be discoaraged, it can be done! we just put them in together straight off - at first we watched them when outside during the day and gave them lots of space and at night they slept in a catbox. there was some fighting but nothing major and they just gradually got used to each other (though it took 3 weeks!).

 

if your looking for the easy way then just start a seperate flock - you have to be pretty determined to get them all together and sometimes it just doesnt work.

[Louisdog]

Are your pekins at the bottom of the pecking order? My three were, they were not bullied, it was just their place in the flock, but I have a new pekin who has attitude, I wonder if she will grow out of it or will stay high up the pecking order.

[likeastar--x]

We only added them in about a month or so ago, and theyre still bottom of the pecking order, though ones a bit lairy, so maybe that will change? theyre still tiny which i think is probably a factor.

[Scramble]

We only added them in about a month or so ago, and theyre still bottom of the pecking order, though ones a bit lairy, so maybe that will change? theyre still tiny which i think is probably a factor.

 

I have two pekins and one is a bit bigger than the other being 3 weeks older, but the little gal has a right little attitude!!

Definiately top though she is the smallest.

She just gives the evil eye and gets whatever she wants...little madam

 

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