I have to talk POLISH!

[seminolewind]

Quote:
That's def. a Polish nose!

BAH HAHAHAHA this comment cracked me up for some reason...It's because i need sleep

Day 4 of being sick with almost no sleep!

I know what you mean. I work nights and around 4am, everything is funny, so we tell "Yo Mama" jokes.

 

[seminolewind]

What a sad sad day. My little 11 week old crele Polish. I put her out this morning, and a hawk got her. I've had no trouble in 4 years. This one thought I was her mother. She was the only Crele left from a hatch that only produced 2.. I just don't know how I'm going to get thru work tonight. These chickens are just too sad.

 

[pinkwindsong]

so sorry to hear about your loss..

silly how we get attached to such a little soul...

)O(
blessed be
Pink

 

[HighNDryFarm]

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Oh, I'm so sorry.....when I lost my whole flock back in February I wondered if I had it in me to start over. I think if my roo hadn't survived...and I had a couple dozen of fertile eggs, I may not have. But we, who love these birds as pets will always find an excuse to keep going. I'm so sorry....especially when you lose something rare that your working on....yes, such a sad day

 

[tinychicky]

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Thank you Tiny, if you were talking to me....there's been some other birds on here but I am the OP. First, they did come from a breeder. 2nd my goal is not SQ, I'm not interested in showing, am interested in breeding a good looking bird for pets. I sit with the breed standards printed out in front of me, staring at my chickens so much I think my neighbors think I'm a crazy chicken lady! And compared to some I've seen on here, my are pretty nice birds. I know they're not SQ but there are three that I think are pretty nice birds, but from what I've seen, they certainly are not poor quality but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I do appreciate yours.

I've bred cocker spaniels for over 30 years and I have spoke those very words you are saying to me, on more then one occasion, to someone who had a cocker spaniel that I felt they shouldn't breed. However, with cockers it was usually more times health, temperament and lack of have basic information on the two dogs that I was concerned with. And many times I had issues with the show breeders who were willing to breed a perfect looking dog that had no other qualities and health issues just to take home that title, but I digress.....so I hear you and I have had many a discussion with myself

as to what my goals will be with these birds and how what I choose will effect the breed itself. So I thank you and everyone who has given their opinions. I have time to do some swapping around of what I keep and see what I want to add before anything starts happening. I already have a list of people who would like some eye candy pets in their yards and I feel my chickens have some pretty nice Polish qualities that wouldn't make someone wonder if it was a Polish or not. So pet homes are OK for me and actually a goal.....hey, you never know what will happen when I get started......

It's OK if everyone's goals are not the same. Sunnydawn is breeding her Marans for egg color....she could have a really funky looking chicken throwing some beautiful chocolate eggs. By standards that bird would be culled but because Sunny has a different goal for breeding that odd girl stays and gets to make some babies that hopefully even darker chocolate eggs! Hey, it makes the world go around, as long as the the birds are being well taken care of, respectfully managed, they knock your socks off and have some fun!

all right i would like to point out something from the bolded quote. so your breeder gave you these birds that are hatchery quality. you plan to breed them. your pet quality chicks may eventually get to someone who wants to breed them, so that person breeds for your lines. who ever buys their birds has poor quality polish too. do you see what i mean now? it is the responsibility of all breeders who plan to regularly sell thier stock to conform as closely as possible to the breed standard AND, i agree, also to have the healthiest possible birds that you can't usually get from hatchery based stock. if everyone does thier part, in the future there will be more better quality polish in the world. even as pet birds, breed standards almost always are based on function (araucanas are supposed to be rumpless because it made it harder for foxes to catch them. that's why they were bred that way. now an araucana must be rumpless to conform to the SOP. similarly a breeder of labrador retrievers must breed thier dogs to have webbed feet. it's part of the standard for them, but it's there because they are a breed that must swim to retrieve water fowl.) polish must be able to see under thier crests so they won't be as easily taken by predators, for example. well bred animals also tend to be healthier, hardier and longer lived as well, in the same way a well bred dog is healthier than a puppy mill pup.

i know i'm being a little hyper about this and it won't make a whole lot of difference if just you bred poor birds, but what if everyone said that? then the world would be full of irresponsible breeders and unhealthy animals! there is a much bigger market for well bred animals and you'll get more respect as a breeder with excellent chickens that are kept within a single type and strain than with polish of more than questionable linages. even if they are only for pet homes. people who don't care what thier pets are like go to hatcheries. responsible, serious poultry owners go to breeders. you might sell to friends or neighbors, but don't expect a flourishing business with the birds you own currently.

about your last paragraph, that's quite true, but with these birds, what is your breeding goal besides just producing chicks? producing a WCB's? blacks with that gold leakage (that i think looks beautiful even if it is a DQ)? makeing your own color or type (feather footed? silkied? red mottled?) even if it's not to the standard, at least have a goal to accomplish in your breeding project.

i'm not trying to pick on you, but as a cocker spaniel breeder, you know as well as i do that you should be have a breeding goal and know as much as possible about what you are breeding before you even start, at least! i would be annoyed at me, but it's all importent stuff and i'd rather have enlightened people who are annoyed at me than people blundering off into the unknown even though we are on generally good terms lol. so sorry for being a nag, i hope my annoyingness will help in the long run

--Tiny

 

[TNBarnQueen]

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These are amazingly beautiful!!! I know what you mean about the sunbathing. First time I walked out and saw 3 of mine like that I almost broke my neck getting to the pen. They all popped up and looked are me like I was crazy.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

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Oh Seminole...I am so sorry. I hope to have hatching eggs in the spring. Mine have taken a growth spurt this past week. The male having had "feather spikes" sprout of his crest crowed over the weekend and scared the crap out of himself.

Crow..jump back...crow..jump back. I have seem him try to mount the pullet a couple times so....keeping fingers crossed. I am having surgery next Tuesday and be in physical rehab for 2 weeks after. I would bet my eye teeth she will probably lay while I am gone!

Here are a couple pics. Not the best in the world because they do not stand still for pics!!
Anyone have any comments??

This is Jazz...she came from a hatchery...not for breeding just as a pet...though she is really nice.

BigDaddy....sooo glad you started this thread...I had just started to enjoy the other one then it was closed...bummer.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

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I totally agree Illia....I have my GL with my Marans and Black Stars. I noticed that she is always by herself and when I throw them treats she can never get to them in time because of her eyesight and the crest. She is always off by herself. So...she was going in with my Crele but I do not want to breed her to them (per Josh's suggesting

) It would be too hard to know who's eggs belongs to who. So...hopefully I can find some nice WC eggs this spring. I think I will put her with my Blue Andalusians...they are the same size and they will not be so aggressive eaters.

 

[seminolewind]

What happened to your flock?

 

[seminolewind]

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I like the way you think of them - as a little soul. I cried my eyes out all night.
I think 2 of my chickens were devistated. One spent the day hiding in an indent in the dirt. My Lola has been hiding in the bushes sortof dazed. Lola is my "in your face" hen. I hope she gets over it, or maybe hiding in the bushes is a good thing.