Mrs

[serenlas]

I have a feeling I know the answer to this, but..

 

I currently have 3 chooks (a Mrs Pepperpot and 2 Gingernut Rangers) in an Eglu classic, which sits in a homemade WIR. They free range for at least part of the day most days (although I'm on the verge of ordering some fencing to tide us over until Autumn, when they will have free run of the garden again until the following Spring). I've just been camping at a local farm and they had some lavender pekin bantams, and I fell in love with them! I was just wondering if it'd be possible to add a pair of bantams to an existing flock of larger chooks? I've had them since last August, so they're well settled. Has anyone done this?

[fluffy chick]

I'm sure it's possible but I'm afraid I wouldn't. sorry. Your hybrids will give them a really hard time and you may end up never (or after months) getting them living together. I have a mixed flock but the pekins were first, I wouldn't try the other way round.

[Kazzy73]

I have been trying to mix my big girls with my little girls since the end of last summer and it hsant been very succesful,goes ok for an hour or two free rangeing and then the big girls grab a little one shake her around a bit and throw her back on the floor poor thing doesnt know what hit it and then has a few feathers plucked for good measure

So its going slowly you can say but hoping one day I can maybe get them all in one wir fingers crossed.

[Snowy]

I'm the same - I have two flocks, 6 hybrids in one, 3 pekins in the other. They have been face to face since last summer, but if they free range together, every now and again the big ones pounce on the pekins and beat them up. One poor girl had a lump taken out of her head even while I was watching!

They take it in turns now

If you really want them and have the space, split your WIR in half and put another coop in the other side for the pekins, thats where mine live in winter.

[fluffy chick]

Of course if you're desperate to have them (I have a lavender pekin I feel your love for them ) You could start another flock. Sometimes things work out and they'll eventually get on. I had no intention of my big chickens mixing with my bantams but they had their own ideas and eventually followed the little ones to bed and bunked in with them It was a bit cosy in the until I gave in and got the

[serenlas]

Thanks for your replies everyone. It sounds risky and realistically I think it won't be possible for us. It's a shame though, I LOVED them, they looked like walking pompoms!! Sadly I don't think I have room for a second flock, temping as it is.

[goodinparts]

Without wishing to confuse you, I've had no trouble at all.

Started off with 3 hybrids in a then upgraded to & bought 2 weeny Belgian bantams...whom I put in the , intending to keep them separate...

4 weeks in, after a bit of supervised FR, the bantams decided to move into the cube & have never looked back. This happened again with 2 more additions, so cube population is now 2 LF hybrids (Broody Brigid has sadly departed thanks to Mr Fox), 2 frizzles, 1 Pekin & 2 Barbu d'Anvers...and they all get on fine.

 

I'm not wasting the though...It's home to my 3 batty girls - only 1 of whom occasionally moves in with the gang in the

[serenlas]

Typical Thanks for your reply!

[Kazzy73]

Wish my lot would get on maybe I should just go for it and put them all together,I just feel so sorry for the little girls when the big ones peck their feathers out and throw them around.