Introducing a Polish Chicken to an Existing Flock w Rooster?

[isabellajosie]

Hello, all. Now that spring is here, I plan on adding some new chicks to my existing flock of 7, one rooster and six hens. I work at a place that sells chicks during the spring and in our recent shipment we ended up with a single Polish. I believe she is a Silver Laced Polish, but she is the sweetest chick. I’m considering bringing her home with the others I plan on getting, but I’m concerned about integrating a Polish into my existing flock, especially since I have a rooster.
I’ve been reading up on the breed and from what I have learned, this breed can be difficult to integrate and is usually lower in the pecking order and can be picked on and bullied because of their different look. I’m also worried how my rooster would be with Polish since they’re also a smaller breed. My hens are all a year old, and I wouldn’t describe them as aggressive. But again, my concern for the Polish outweighs my desire to have one in my flock, and I don’t want to get her if it’s a bad idea for her well-being and health to be in a mixed flock like I have.
For reference, my rooster is an Isabella Leghorn. My hens are an Easter Egger, a Sapphire Gem, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and a Columbian Wyandotte.

 

[Addicted To Chickens]

It is true that Polish chickens can be picked on very easily. But my 2 polish chickens actually get along just fine even though one of them is a bantam and the rest of my flock are not. I think you could try it.

 

[isabellajosie]

It is true that Polish chickens can be picked on very easily. But my 2 polish chickens actually get along just fine even though one of them is a bantam and the rest of my flock are not. I think you could try it.

I’m glad to hear that!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes you could try it and it could work but I would have a back up plan just incase it does not. Also with no way of knowing what sex the lovely little polish is there do you have a plan if it it’s a male? Polish are notoriously hard to sex often for many many weeks. Lovely little chick there though

 

[isabellajosie]

Yes you could try it and it could work but I would have a back up plan just incase it does not. Also with no way of knowing what sex the lovely little polish is there do you have a plan if it it’s a male? Polish are notoriously hard to sex often for many many weeks. Lovely little chick there though

I’m part of a couple of local Facebook groups that, if I needed to re-home her, I could post to see if anyone in my area could take her. And she is a female! The backstory is my manager placed a special order separate from our big order of chicks for a customer for 13 chicks but the hatchery requires us to order a minimum of 15 chicks. So my manager threw in a Welsummer and this Polish so the order would ship. But they were ordered as pullets from the hatchery.

 

[Pipica]

Hello, all. Now that spring is here, I plan on adding some new chicks to my existing flock of 7, one rooster and six hens. I work at a place that sells chicks during the spring and in our recent shipment we ended up with a single Polish. I believe she is a Silver Laced Polish, but she is the sweetest chick. I’m considering bringing her home with the others I plan on getting, but I’m concerned about integrating a Polish into my existing flock, especially since I have a rooster.
I’ve been reading up on the breed and from what I have learned, this breed can be difficult to integrate and is usually lower in the pecking order and can be picked on and bullied because of their different look. I’m also worried how my rooster would be with Polish since they’re also a smaller breed. My hens are all a year old, and I wouldn’t describe them as aggressive. But again, my concern for the Polish outweighs my desire to have one in my flock, and I don’t want to get her if it’s a bad idea for her well-being and health to be in a mixed flock like I have.
For reference, my rooster is an Isabella Leghorn. My hens are an Easter Egger, a Sapphire Gem, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and a Columbian Wyandotte.

Don’t do it.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Hello, all. Now that spring is here, I plan on adding some new chicks to my existing flock of 7, one rooster and six hens. I work at a place that sells chicks during the spring and in our recent shipment we ended up with a single Polish. I believe she is a Silver Laced Polish, but she is the sweetest chick. I’m considering bringing her home with the others I plan on getting, but I’m concerned about integrating a Polish into my existing flock, especially since I have a rooster.
I’ve been reading up on the breed and from what I have learned, this breed can be difficult to integrate and is usually lower in the pecking order and can be picked on and bullied because of their different look. I’m also worried how my rooster would be with Polish since they’re also a smaller breed. My hens are all a year old, and I wouldn’t describe them as aggressive. But again, my concern for the Polish outweighs my desire to have one in my flock, and I don’t want to get her if it’s a bad idea for her well-being and health to be in a mixed flock like I have.
For reference, my rooster is an Isabella Leghorn. My hens are an Easter Egger, a Sapphire Gem, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Partridge Plymouth Rock, and a Columbian Wyandotte.

Never know because my polish is the top hen over here and she’s the smallest .

 

[hollytruitt]

My rooster is bullying her to the point we had to seperate her for her own safety until further notice. We are working on evaluating on what to do as we do want to keep her and she has grown attached to us since we spent a lot of time with her when she was sick with wry neck.
Even though she grew up with the rooster and 5 other brahmas she is still getting pecked and pulled feathers from her crest. She is our lone polish which the hatchery should have never sent her to us as a freebie.