Buying Baby Chickens. Questions on Breeds and Marek's Vaccination

[Jeeper1540]

I'm ordering some baby chicks this year from MPC. This is my first time ordering online and i was wondering, First, whether or not i should get the Marek's Vaccination?
I also had a question about breeds. I know i want atleast one Polish, and i was wondering if based on the hen's feather color, whether they are better layers, have a better personality, etc. Any help will be appreciated!

 

[Jeeper1540]

Also, Do you think the older chickens will peck at the Polish's "Afro" feathers?

 

[Chicken0Boy]

I would personally get marreks vacinations, because, for me, it is one less disease I worry about my chicks/chickens getting. I do not have a polish, but I heard they have medium sized eggs and they have a good personality. My friend has one and she loves hers to death!

The only con I have heard of is the crest, like a Silkie it somewhat messes up there vesion so they are not as capable to see a predator coming, and once you get up close they can be startled. I have silkies though and they see just fine.
I don't think they would peck at the 'afro' atleast mine dont peck at my silkie's 'afro'!

Hope I helped!

 

[KimM]

I don't know much about Polish, but I do know someone who is trying to get rid of a Polish rooster because the other (non-Polish) hens keep pulling his feathers out. I personally got the Marek's vaccine, didn't see a reason not to.

 

[Mak]

I always get the Marek's vaccination, for the same reason others have said- why not? It's cheap and a safeguard.

As for the Polish- I have a Polish hen and rooster. The hen is the ditziest thing in the world. Maybe because the crest gets in the way and she doesn't see well, but she is just plain crazy! She is also the lowest on the pecking order and while they don't pull her feathers, she does not get the best treats and the others chase her a lot. She is the same age as all the others (8 months) and has never laid an egg. I'm sure of that as she is the only white egg layer I have. She is White Crested blue splash. The rooster (white crested black)- *sigh* I too am getting rid of him in the spring. Tho mine is going to end up in the stew pot. He's not a bad guy, really, but- Yeah the hens pick on him incessantly. He has a permanent bald spot because of it. He rarely mates a hen. Oh, he tries, but they just walk away or squawk and peck him, and he gives up. He never shares treats he finds with the hens- he gobbles it up as fast as he can! And he will come after me once in a while and I have to remind him who is boss. I can't really interact with the hens much unless I lock him up, because that will for sure put him in attack mode. He'll back down quickly enough and then I'm ok for a week or so, but then it starts over again. I'm just plain tired of him doing that.

Just my experience. I'm sure there are others with different experiences. And even tho there are some general breed characteristics, like any other animal, each individual is different.