So ... one of my Polish hens was in my neighbors backyard, so after I caught her, I happened to lift her up and look at her, and thankfully I did, because she has a huge gash under her head. It is not bleeding or weeping any fluids, and honestly looks really clean. I’ve put her in a dog crate to...
We butchered our roosters today. They decided they were going to be mean, and with 2 littles and occasional house sitters, it was just a no to keep them.
When we were pulling (we as in my husband ;) ) out the internal organs, there was this large pretty hard thing mixed with the organs. I know...
Is this dry pox? Doesn’t seem to be dried blood from pecking issues, and I just realized it was in multiple chickens 😞 If it is, can I do anything or just need to let it run it’s course?
Do the various breed associations have breed standards that chickens are judged against at shows like dogs? I went to research about Polish and didn’t see any information, so was curious what the norm is!
...hens have red wattles? I have 2 that look pretty different. I have 2 other roosters the same age (black copper Maran and a barred rock) and it is *obvious* they are boys. These Polish chicks are not crowing and don’t give off any other masculine signs, but they’re my first polish so I don’t...
I’m fascinated using slow motion video :)
How would I be able to tell if her leg feels numb? No response to touching it? I’d guess no, but would have to go pick her up and intentionally look.
Today’s update - CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS!! 🥳
I taped Luckys feet like Eggcessive mentioned (much easier and effective than the cardboard shoes I had noted earlier) - thank you!!
She still is having a hard time walking. I started letting her be with her buddies during the day, and separating...
Thankfully these are just pets for us, so no breeding plans here! Coming from the dog breeding world, I few pretty knowledgeable in the concepts of genetics, and can see how easy it is for a chicken population to become inbred without careful selection. I appreciate your input ❤️😁
Update!
“Lucky” seems to be improving. After a lot of searching, my best guess is that Tolbunt Polish can have some inbreeding issues that lead to issues of vitamin deficiencies. I started off using NutriDrench as a supplement in the water, and then switched to Rooster Booster as it also...
Follow up! A little (or a lot 😂) of JB Weld around the base of the nipples cured the issue. The problem was caused by attaching to the round edge of a PVC pipe, so the rubber gasket was not enough to seal it up. The setup now works beautifully - low waste and clean water.
What is a VN?
I didn’t even think about the indoor issue - I’ll remember that! Thankfully these are outdoors. Maybe I just need to plant something under them 😂
I just made an awesome watering setup attaching nipples to a PVC pipe and a 5 gallon bucket on the other end. The problem I’m having is it is leaking out the actual nipple. Is it a quality issue? Is there anything I can do?
Well, today’s update. Feet look good on the underside so it’s not bumblefoot. I’m leaning towards a toe issue and have made a little shoe to help the toes spread out. She doesn’t always have her toes curled up, but she doesn’t grip my finger with her left foot like she will with her right. I...