4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[slip and pitch]

Hi Everyone,

Sadly I had to have one of my hens (marge) put down last week,vet suspected egg peritonitis. I now have left a maran coucou (Alice) and a black rock (Beryl) in the cube. Hubby and I would like to get some more hens and I'm thinking along the lines of a buff oprpington and two pekins. Can anyone give me some advice,will the pekins be ok with the larger hens and what about them being together with the orpington while they're settling in? I'm hoping to hire an eglu for the first week of introduction. Do you think this'll work or should I only introduce either bantams or just large hens? Any advice gratefully received as I've had mixed answers from the breeders I have asked x

[meezers]

I haven't got bantams , but I know several people on here mix bantams and large breeds ( I asked the same question a few months ago ).

I do have a very small silkie , she is supposed to be a large breed but I'm not so sure, I also have an orpington I got at the same time, one breeder told me they wouldn't mix as the orp would pick on the silkie, huh ! the silkie is 2nd in the pecking order ( out of 7 ) and she picks on the orp!! don't think she realises she's 1/4 of the size ! Maybe it depends on the individual hen but orps are supposed to be laid back.

[tom123]

All my hens live together. 3 bantams (2 pekins & wyandotte) including a cockerel and 4 large hens including sussex who are very big. They are perfectly fine together and the pekins are really quite feisty!.

 

Just take it slow and enjoy them.

 

Tom

[slip and pitch]

Thanks for that information. Hopefully it'll all go smoothly