Polilsh gender - how old?

its kind of early...with no pinking/reddening up, and no wattle growth with no beard - I am leaning to girl though....

Polish tend to be flighty birds with people, the only ones I have that aren't are ones I raised from 3 days old and handled ALOT, and they became very puppy doggish, followed me everywhere, and would hop in my lap or let me pick them up...Others (even out of same batch ) took alot of bribing and weren't 'friendly' but would follow me around and weren't afraid of me as long as they didn't think I wanted to pick them up. 

I also want to say I think you need to really check her over, she looks under the weather to me, not as vibrant and healthy in the face/eyes as a chicken should. She looks withdrawn and pale, sickly. Check her over really good for mites or lice. Also listen to her breathing and see if her breathing is labored, noisy, etc. see if you see any reddish poo, etc. any clues to see what may be a problem. But my birds that look like that (and I had ALOT of problems with hatchery polish this year, as have alot of folks I've seen post on FB and here ) 

Hope I've helped a bit...

i would dust them lightly and worm them and after the worming if that didn't help would do a broad spectrum antibiotic. i also would do a new dusting in 5-7 days from the first dusting for about 1-2 months (seems harsh but i make sure all little bugs are dead and those that hatch die as well and doing this i have had good success with getting rid of lice and mites)

I nursed a little sick Polish back to what seems better health after many here told me to cull. (which wasn't an option unless suffering)

A week of tetracycline and when that didn't totally clear the rattle, we got some baytril liquid from the vet and did that 2X a day for 7 days in the beak. Meanwhile s/he lived in my guest bathtub away from everyone else.

I just integrated back into the flock last weekend and all is well. S/he is the smallest of my birds (I have only 6 birds, wyandottes and a buff) but they are all getting along. I do have to pick her/him up to the roost at night for bedtime and s/he sits on my lap. S/he's used to being handled after all the nursing care but is the flightiest of the group. I'm brand new to chickens and it's been a very eye-opening experience!!!

I still don't know if  s/he is a roo or hen yet, about 12 wks old.

Good luck

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Quote:

Originally Posted by fishnet1971 

As a matter of fact, she does seem a little less energetic than the other two. I wondered about the pale color as well. I got 4 babies - not from a hatchery, from an individual. Two (Polish and a black Cochin) do seem to be a little less energetic (lethargic) I have seen poos that look like they may have shed lining in them. All 4 girls have solid poos. Chest seems clear. Can i dust them with Sevin at this age? or poultry dust? or use the Permitherin as i do on my big girls?  The black Cochin and her seem like their eyes are always squinting and they are not as 'spunky' as the rest.

at that age if there is red in the poo, it is cocci, treat them for that, and treat them for mites too. I would use permetherin spray, crests, back, under wings. repeat in a week to get any new hatchlings from eggs. Sorry I lost the post and didn't get back to you sooner