Can I introduce Bantams to a normal sized rooster?

[Brittainscott]

Hi! I just recently finished building a couple coops and purchased my first pair of chickens. The rooster is half Easter Egger and half Copper Maran, the hen is a silkie. They’ve been with me for about a week and are already quite comfortable with me. They get along very well and eat from my hand. During the day they free range around the yard and at night they go back into the coop naturally where I lock them up. My brother just bought two Bantams, one a hen and one a rooster, and we originally planned to keep them in a separate coop from the larger chickens at night, but let them all roam the yard freely during the day(only releasing the bantams after 2 weeks of quarantine). I was just reading up online and found that it might pose a problem to have a bantam hen around a bigger rooster, and now I’m concerned. The big rooster appears to be very gentle, hardly ever crows and shows no care about the new bantams, even when the Bantam roo crows, while the silkie stares into their coop at them often. She seems curious, but not aggressive at all.

Do you more experienced chicken owners think it will be safe for the bantams to be let loose after a couple weeks of getting used to the presence of the big chickens? The yard is about 3 acres and the coops are decently sized.

I greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you!

 

[Callender Girl]

My Bantam hens mingle with all the full-sized birds during the day, but have their own coop at night (I spoil my birds by having way too many coops and making sure the "roommates" get along as well as possible. Sometimes, that means trading spaces).

However, my full-sized rooster is a very romantic boy who will breed anything and everything. He is much too large to allow him to mount the Bantams, so they are never loose at the same time. I would keep a close eye on your big boy if everyone is free-ranging together.

Congratulations on getting your first chickens, and welcome to BYC!

 

[21hens-incharge]

With a big rooster and a bantam rooster AND only 2 hens I would not allow them to mingle.

It just would not be safe for either of the bantams.

 

[Hei 20]

Hi! I just recently finished building a couple coops and purchased my first pair of chickens. The rooster is half Easter Egger and half Copper Maran, the hen is a silkie. They’ve been with me for about a week and are already quite comfortable with me. They get along very well and eat from my hand. During the day they free range around the yard and at night they go back into the coop naturally where I lock them up. My brother just bought two Bantams, one a hen and one a rooster, and we originally planned to keep them in a separate coop from the larger chickens at night, but let them all roam the yard freely during the day(only releasing the bantams after 2 weeks of quarantine). I was just reading up online and found that it might pose a problem to have a bantam hen around a bigger rooster, and now I’m concerned. The big rooster appears to be very gentle, hardly ever crows and shows no care about the new bantams, even when the Bantam roo crows, while the silkie stares into their coop at them often. She seems curious, but not aggressive at all.

Do you more experienced chicken owners think it will be safe for the bantams to be let loose after a couple weeks of getting used to the presence of the big chickens? The yard is about 3 acres and the coops are decently sized.

I greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you!