[seanandde]

Two weeks ago we (finally, finally!) collected our first hens - or rather two Pekin Bantam girls who were 9 weeks old.  A few days later we collected two LF Orp girls, both 12 weeks - so very little difference in age; huge difference in size.

From the off, the Pekin chicks got put to bed inside a cat carrier, which was placed in the coop with the Orps - during the day the Orps had been chasing/bothering the little ones when I was taking them out of their small, separate run which I had them in for safety for a while until they were a bit bigger).

They're all getting along okay fine now during the day though the Orps are most definitely in charge.  Would it be safe to now put the Pekins in the coop with the Orps at night?  I'm just worried about going down there in the morning and, well....

The Pekins love the straw lined cat carrier but it would make life so much easier just to put them all to bed together - if it's safe?

[Casey76]

Personally I wouldn't keep Pekins and Orps in the same run together full stop.  Orps are gentle by nature, but the would squash a Pekin flat if they ran over one.

[seanandde]

They're not in a run at all.  It was just the Pekin girls that I kept, during the day, in a small, separate run because they were still so young.  They're now out with the Orp girls when I'm at home (which is most of the time) but I put them into the run when I'm out.  The area the four of them have is approx 40' x 13' - so basically a third of of thelength of our garden which has been fenced off for them. 

Is this not suitable for four hens, two of which are Bantams?  I was led to believe it was okay to keep both together

[seanandde]

That's encouraging, thank you.  The area they range in has lots of low, dense shribbery  (until it gets destroyed, doubtless!) along one side.  A couple of times my heart's been in my mouth and I thought I'd lost the Pekins but they've just been in the shrubs.

It was more the night time thing I was concerned about really - whether to chance it stop using the cat carrier for the Pekins.

[grenhouse]

I have an orp along with a dorking and 2 very small banties, one slightly smaller than a pekin hen and they all get on fine! So long as they are used to one another I would have no worries in placing them together.

Steve

[seanandde]

Thanks, Steve.  Though I'm new to keeping chickens, I didn't envisage a problem keeping LF with bantams as I did a lot of research which suggested that it would be fine.

So , thank you - I'll dispense with the cat carrier fiasco and put them all in the coop together tonight... and perhaps sit with a cuppa for a while to listen out just in case!  I probably worried too much initially and have made things worse - the Pekins are very happy indeed with their cosy little bed within a bed.  Perhaps I'll just put the carrier, with the door off it, inside the coop for tonight and if all's okay, let them all muck in together from tomorrow night.

[tesni]

fingers crossed it all goes well, I've got a mixture of big and small, orp and bantams amongst others and after the initial flurry sorting out the pecking order they all live & sleep together.  In fact the bantams are def superior to one af my girls who must be three times the size - a feisty nature wins out over size!

[seanandde]

Great   Aside from the slight worry about the little ones, it was most amusing on the first day, watching a tiny Pekin chick bounce up and down, trying to chest butt the Orps!  That didn't seem to impress the big ones and the Pekins have been a bit overwhelmed since... but I was glad late this afternoon to see them all quite relaxed and feeding together - that's a first so I think we're heading in the right direction.

[Evansent]

Just a thought (for when you get more )  I have got Bantam Buff orpingtons with my pekins, there is still a bit of a size difference, but they all get on well and I love the different personalties!

C