Can I put a polish hen in with my big RIR & Wyandotte?

[jadeflower999]

Hello!
Well I have chicken fever again this spring and the local nursery has white crested black polish's. And I really want one!! But do you think once it gets pretty much full grown I can put it in my coop with my RIR and silver laced wyandotte? Has anyone ever put a smaller hen in with bigger ones? Think they'll pick on her? They have enough space I think. It's a 8x3 tractor with a nesting boxes for 3.

 

[math ace]

The polish is more likely to get picked on because of the feathers on the top of her head

The RIR and Wyandotte tend to be more dominant chickens - - - - So they are more likely to do the picking.

If you are going to do it - - - I would spend a lot of time watching them.

My wyandotte gave my rooster a beating when I put her in the coop.
She took on all of them and quickly established herself as Alhpha hen. She had everybody running for a couple of weeks.

Personally, I would not put the Polish in with the RIR and Wyandottes.

 

[chicken boy sam]

I think you could. I have 2 polish and they are the sweetest and cutest things. They used to live with a silver laced wyandotte roo and rhode island red roo. Then I figured out they were roos and they were gone. Now they live with buff orpington which is the some size as a rhode island red. You should get one.... they are really nice and mine lay about an egg a day!!!!!! GET ONE.

 

[sourland]

Very frequently other chickens will pluck the topknots of polish or silkies if there is a significant size difference.

 

[joedie]

I have one Polish in with 22 other hens and 1 roo. RIR and SLW are in the mix. These were all raised together and they pick on her. She never gets to keep her crest. I spray her head with Blukote every few weeks and it keeps them at bay for awhile but wears off so you have to be vigilant. If I had to do it over again, I would not mix Polish with the other breeds. I would suggest that if you want Polish, keep them seperate in another coop.

 

[chicken boy sam]

That's what happened at first, but then I got some cayenne pepper and put it on her crest. Once they picked on that , they stopped.

 

[joedie]

Quote:
I'll have to try that. Just the spice and sprinkle it on?

 

[chicken boy sam]

You can buy it at a feed store. I sprinkle it on all of their body, be careful near their heads, and then I rub it into the crest. I thought it worked pretty well. I also use that technique on new birds so then they don't get picked on too much. I did it every other day until they stop.

 

[sourland]

I don't know how you can do that and not get it in their eyes? Also, I thought that birds do not have a sense of taste? If this is true, how can it work?

 

[chicken boy sam]

I don't know, but it worked pretty well.