Anyone have Polish in Cold Climate?

[Lilychick]

Hi,

I'm thinking about a golden polish but I read that they're not cold-hardy. Does this mean I shouldn't have one here in MA, or that I should just take special care in winter. How much cold can they stand?

Thanks.
Lily

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I don't live in Maine, but I do have polish (bantam) and they're not quite comfortable in the current cold temps here in Southeastern Oklahoma. The lowest it's been is 19 degrees at night, but day temps are in the upper 40's - lower 60's. They will still come out and eat, then sun themselves in the yard. I think the reason they aren't very cold hardy is because they don't have much body mass and their feathers are terribly loose, just the slightest wind would cut right through them.

I bet you could still keep some, with a nice coop for them to stay in when it starts to freeze up there. They're neat little birds.

 

[Carole AM]

I have polish, and they stay in my barn most of the time when the weather turns cold. If its above 30 degrees, they are usually out with the flock.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I had Polish and they winter pretty well. I ended up selling them because my rooster kept getting picked on.

Verthandi lives in Maine and she has Polish, so I think in Massachusetts, they'd so alright.

 

[verthandi]

Thank you Angie. Yes Lilychick, I have polish in Central Maine...it can get pretty darn cold. My birds are wimpy, once there is snow on the ground they don't like to go outside unless I shovel a "chicken patio" for them. Then put hay down over the shoveled area.

I have never seen them appear cold and I don't have a heated coop. I am careful that I don't use a waterer with a lot of open space, to avoid their wattles getting wet.

Mine are standard polish, I don't know if bantams would withstand the cold the same or not.

 

[Lilychick]

Thank you! I think I'm going to go for it and just do the warmest I can for them when it turns cold.

So excited!

 

[verthandi]

They don't do well in mixed flocks sometimes....if that is what you were thinking of doing. Their vision is limited by their crests and they are an odd size (at least the standards) sort of between a regular size chicken and a bantam.