Calling All Polish Owners For Trimming Advice!

[ChickenGirl555]

I am getting some polish chicks this spring, and I want to be prepared for trimming their head so they don't injure themselves. Any advice on how/where to trim so I don't hurt them would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[BantyChooks]

Advice on what? How to cut the feathers? Unsure what you're asking here, sorry. Can provide pictures if that's what you need.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Advice on what? How to cut the feathers? Unsure what you're asking here, sorry. Can provide pictures if that's what you need.

I edited it, sorry. Look back on it now.

 

[BantyChooks]

I edited it, sorry. Look back on it now.

Thanks!

I use normal scissors for trimming. Set the bird in your lap, restrain the head (will get pictures later,) lift feathers away from the side of their face, and cut. Careful you're not cutting pin feathers. I go straight up the side of their head and leave a "block" of feathers on top, just because they're cute that way. If you go for a "buzz cut" giving them a bath first helps, just be careful. The bird I tried that on needed a bath anyway and was very tame. Won't work well for even kinda spazzy birds.

 

[ct_chickens]

The feathers don't need to be trimmed unless they are blocking a lot of the eye. When my polish was younger she couldn't see very well but now she is bigger and the crest feathers aren't blocking as much of her eyes so she can see better. The ones you get in the spring may have the same thing happen and they will end up seeing better when they get bigger

 

[ChickenGirl555]

The feathers don't need to be trimmed unless they are blocking a lot of the eye. When my polish was younger she couldn't see very well but now she is bigger and the crest feathers aren't blocking as much of her eyes so she can see better. The ones you get in the spring may have the same thing happen and they will end up seeing better when they get bigger

Well I just wanted to be prepared, since where we are most likely ordering from just gives you a mix of polish, so we won't know what variation we get until they hatch.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Thanks!

I use normal scissors for trimming. Set the bird in your lap, restrain the head (will get pictures later,) lift feathers away from the side of their face, and cut. Careful you're not cutting pin feathers. I go straight up the side of their head and leave a "block" of feathers on top, just because they're cute that way. If you go for a "buzz cut" giving them a bath first helps, just be careful. The bird I tried that on needed a bath anyway and was very tame. Won't work well for even kinda spazzy birds.

Thanks for the advice, and what are the pin feathers? I'm still a little new to chickens (got my first 4 months ago) so I'm not a master on ANYTHING yet.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thanks for the advice, and what are the pin feathers? I'm still a little new to chickens (got my first 4 months ago) so I'm not a master on ANYTHING yet.

New feathers with a sort of casing on them. They have a blood supply to them.

 

[BantyChooks]

I don't have any crested birds at the moment, but just imagine a crest on the bird.

Restraining the head. A finger is put under the beak and one behind the head. Third finger is VERY LOOSELY across the throat. We're not choking the bird here. Hold the bird against your body with your arm.

Once the bird is calm, move your thumb up to pull the crest away from the eyes. Again, just pretend I'm doing that. Then move the scissors over and cut the feathers falling in front of the eyes. If you have a spaz you'll have to modify this a bit. I only have two hands so I couldn't get any images with scissors in position, sorry.

Here's an image with terrible photo editing to sort of represent my train of thought.

Edit: you can see some spiky-ish pin feathers on this bird. She's just finishing up her molt here.

Edit again: that's paint on my gloves, not blood.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I have had polish a long time and never trimmed them. Let the feathers grow. They manage