Can you put a Chabo (Japanese Bantam) roo with regular size hens ?

[Apolinne]

Hello Friends,

Hypothetically, is it safe to have a Chabo roo as the only roo in a flock of ISA brown chickens ? The chickens are very chill and friendly. Never had a roo tho. (I love that you guys call roosters roo, like how cute is that)

Thanks

 

[FrostRanger]

It'll depend on the individual temperments involved but plenty of people keep bantam roos with standard hens. Proceed cautiously, but give it a go

 

[Apolinne]

Ok, great. I guess it's worth a try. And what exactly do you mean by proceed cautiously? I read a lot about the see no touch method, but no one really describes what behaviour to look for to know when the birds are safe to be released into the original flock. Do I have to do see no touch even with a roo? Also, can the method fail ? What do I do then ? (in general)

 

[Apolinne]

Also how many chabo hens does a chabo roo need for them all to be happy ?

 

[FrostRanger]

Ok, great. I guess it's worth a try. And what exactly do you mean by proceed cautiously? I read a lot about the see no touch method, but no one really describes what behaviour to look for to know when the birds are safe to be released into the original flock. Do I have to do see no touch even with a roo? Also, can the method fail ? What do I do then ? (in general)

You want them ignoring each other for the most part. Usually you won't need to do see but no touch for a mature rooster, however given your roo is a bantam going into a flock that hasn't been around bantams, i'm advising it out of caution. You don't mention the age of the roos, but if he's less than a year old, he's a cockerel and will need to be integrated using see but no touch regardless and will probably still get kicked around a bit by the girls (this is normal and will ensure he learns manners). As long as no one is getting hurt and no one is outright being a bully, just let it happen. If you put him in too soon, just go back to see but no touch for a while longer, I say for another week, and try again

 

[Apolinne]

You want them ignoring each other for the most part. Usually you won't need to do see but no touch for a mature rooster, however given your roo is a bantam going into a flock that hasn't been around bantams, i'm advising it out of caution. You don't mention the age of the roos, but if he's less than a year old, he's a cockerel and will need to be integrated using see but no touch regardless and will probably still get kicked around a bit by the girls (this is normal and will ensure he learns manners). As long as no one is getting hurt and no one is outright being a bully, just let it happen. If you put him in too soon, just go back to see but no touch for a while longer, I say for another week, and try again

I see. And Bantams and notbantams don't like eachother? What is the deal with Bantams anyway ? Are they like a different species ? Like how there are crabs and true crabs ? I'm sorry, I'm very new to all this. My grandparents kept chickens of the breed chicken and that's about all I know.
I don't have a rooster yet. I learned about chabos like a month ago and I didn't know I needed that in my life but now I do. Only 3 people sell them in the entire country, and they all only sell roos or roo+hen related. So i figured I'll get a boy this year and keep an eye out and get girls next year.

 

[FrostRanger]

I see. And Bantams and notbantams don't like eachother? What is the deal with Bantams anyway ? Are they like a different species ? Like how there are crabs and true crabs ? I'm sorry, I'm very new to all this. My grandparents kept chickens of the breed chicken and that's about all I know.
I don't have a rooster yet. I learned about chabos like a month ago and I didn't know I needed that in my life but now I do. Only 3 people sell them in the entire country, and they all only sell roos or roo+hen related. So i figured I'll get a boy this year and keep an eye out and get girls next year.

No, bantams are simply small chickens, there are many breeds of bantam chickens. The issue is birds not raised around bantams may not regard them as chickens and thus may be rough. It doesn't mean that yours will be rough, but it does require extra diligence as bantams are smaller and more fragile - mind you they're still plenty tough, and many bantams hold their own with standards just fine, but they are still more likely to get hurt due to their size

 

[Apolinne]

Fascinating this poultry keeping world. So Bantams are true Bantams when they don't have a non Bantam big variant, like Silkies. Big silkies would be pretty neat tho.
Thank you so much. Ok one more question, then I'll leave you alone. When doing the see not touch do I put their feeding bowls close to each other to force contact like you do for cats, or far apart ?

 

[Logar]

So Bantams are true Bantams when they don't have a non Bantam big variant, like Silkies. Big silkies would be pretty neat tho.

Silkies actually do have a large fowl counterpart. They are just not common in most places. But you basically have the right idea.

 

[Lillith37]

I have a bantam cockerel amongst bantam and standard size hens. It’s been good because the older bigger hens have taught him manners. One of the bantam hens has now accepted him. He was raised by my broody alongside a standard pullet and he has never tried to force her. He still tries to force the standard hens first thing in the morning when he is most frisky, but they know to jump up high somewhere and wait til he settles down. Then for the rest of the day he tries to dance for them and woo them. He is the only one who has been injured with some peck wounds to the comb and wattles. If I’d started with a standard roo I would have been anxious for my ladies because he would have gotten bigger than them and they may not have been able to keep him in line.

It depends on the personalities of the individuals involved. But I would guess that your ISAs are going to kick the crap out of a bantam cockerel/rooster you put in with them. At least until he learns his place.