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Thanks! She cerainly is...something...great personality and a fair disposition to boot! We love her.
Nope, the coop isn't heated at all. She relys soley on her thick plumage to keep her through the months. Our flock isn't totally 'warm and fuzzy' with each other, so no one really snuggles up. It's good you have heat though. Anything is better than what we have. I feel obliged to check on everyone a few times a day, just to make sure they're all getting along alright.
I have to ask, do you have a run? If so, are you able to close the little passage way from outside to inside the coop? Like a door? We try to keep the coop as draft-free as possible. I leave everyone with a run to play in and a warmer coop to take refuge in durring the especially cold days here. If you don't have a door on the coop, you should provide them with one. Not only does it keep warmth in, but Polish chickens often fall victom to predators. I know a few situations off the top of my head that if I wasn't outside with Patty, something would have most likely gotten her. Whether it be the neighbor's dog, a fox, a hawk, etc...Always consider the worst when getting Polish chickens. Patty is pretty bright for a chicken. When there is snow on the ground and she can't find her way home (we free range in the afternoon) she goes to the most familiar spot and waits for me to bring her home when I go outside. Call it street smarts, call it familiarity, whatever. I'm just happy she knows what to do in any situation.
She will also roost up high when given the chance. Even though her crest makes her a pretty good target, it also protects her from other chicken's bites and vicious pecks.
Ah, as far as mixing breeds goes, that really differs with different owners. I have a friend with only one Polish (Which I find absoutley disturbing. Get a few so they don't get left out! Or even if not, make sure you pay attention to EVERYONE! Even the blind!) and she typically finds her hen trying to hide from the rest of the group. Sometimes she'll come home to find that she got her head stuck under a tree root trying to get away from pecking hens. I feel bad for that little girl.
I find that my Pats hasn't had a single problem with pecking until before we got rid of alot of our roos. (They would go to mate and grab onto her crest feathers first, riping out a few until I saved her from them.) Got rid of the roos, she repaired, never an issue since.
I also tend to see that birds of a feather WILL indeed stick together! I hatched my Polish hen's daughter out last spring and they bond fairly well now. Out of my whole flock, they are the only ones with a 'friendship'. Your fowl may do the same.
Keep a close eye out, though. The minute a bird sees that your Polish is a 'funny chew toy', you're in for a problem. I've heard blue-kote and anti-peck lotions are helpful in these situations. Be the bird's watch-dog when possible. I was once outside with my Silkie hen while everyone was going to bed in the OPEN coop. I saw a fox coming my way in a bit of a hurry, probably catching onto my flock's scent. I grabbed my hen and took her in right away. The fox ran off, but it showed me how much trouble the birds can get into, even if they have lesser vision imparements.
Oh, wow, I'm sorry for that! I'm not very good at keeping it short!
Hope any of this was useful information!
