I have to talk POLISH!

[heirloomorps]

Polish do not go broody and you need another breed to hatch their eggs or an incubator. Outside of these things, I think polish are great birds.

Before we had Polish I was told they didn't go broody but one of our Tolbunts is trying really hard.

 

[Jungleexplorer]

Dittos! I typed my message on my touchscreen smartphone as well. I had to go back and edit my post several times to correct some of the mistakes. Typing on a touchscreen phone is torture! They will never invent a better and more reliable way to enter text then a good old full size fashion typewriter style keyboard. I own a $500 10" tablet and it just gather dust around my house. It was a waste of money. It is too small and under powered to be a laptop and to big to be portable like a smartphone (which has just as much power and capability). I have given it away three times and got it back because the people I gave it to did not like for the reasons stated. I will never figure out why people are nuts about touchscreen tablets. Touchscreen may be good for something, but not for entering text. I will never get rid of my desktop computer with my 24" HD screen and it will always be the best way to enjoy the internet and any other form of electronic entertainment and learning. You just can't beat it.

 

[seminolewind]

Hi Jungleexplorer

I have a tablet I get a lot of use from when I travel. I did buy a keyboard for it, but still use the touchscreen as well. I love my smart phone, but use it more for reading not for typing. I find it a lot easier to type if I turn it sideways, the keys are bigger. At home I got the laptop. I hope this helps.

 

[seminolewind]

I have only had a few polish, but I have had some of them for over six years. My experience has been the oposite of what you were told. My birds have been some if the healthiest birds I have. The problems with polish are these. 1. Chicks are dificult to raise because other chicks (even other polish) think the fluffy crest is food and peck the polish chicks head clean
This leads to bleeding which causes the other chicks to canibalize the scalp of the polish chick leading to death.

2. Because of the crest, polish cannot see up or backwards like other chickens. This makes them very easy targets for predators.

Polish do not go broody and you need another breed to hatch their eggs or an incubator. Outside of these things, I think polish are great birds.

Yes, mine seem to be the healthiest of the bunch as well. They do the best with their own kind. Mine do best in a big pen rather than free ranging. I trim the bangs and the sides of the ones that are more chased around. The alphas hens and the roos keep their poofs . It levels things out. The ones that have had a hen hatch them were hatched with a silkie. Seems silkie ma and pa treat them like their own, and even after separation, they are always welcomed back as their "children". The trim of the parts blocking their view really helps a lot. It also seems to make them less flighty.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I have only had a few polish, but I have had some of them for over six years. My experience has been the oposite of what you were told. My birds have been some if the healthiest birds I have. The problems with polish are these. 1. Chicks are dificult to raise because other chicks (even other polish) think the fluffy crest is food and peck the polish chicks head clean
This leads to bleeding which causes the other chicks to canibalize the scalp of the polish chick leading to death.

2. Because of the crest, polish cannot see up or backwards like other chickens. This makes them very easy targets for predators.

Polish do not go broody and you need another breed to hatch their eggs or an incubator. Outside of these things, I think polish are great birds.

I didn't think they would go broody, but my WCG hen did. We gave her two eggs since we didn't expect her to stay for the duration. She hatched both eggs, and we gave her some chicks that hatched in in incubator. She is currently doing an outstanding job of raising 10 chicks. Her best buddy is our EE/Silkie who goes broody every time the wind blows so she has another hen to learn from. Not sure if this had an influence on her or not.

 

[Thomas423]

Good morning Polish lovers...

Don't have any...yet but want some vadly. But I have a concern. I met a breeder last week end in a pouktry show. I asked jim why there was no Polish. He told me tgat nobody wants to keep them since they are really "fragile" (sorry I'm french not sure if it is the right word)...and more supbseptible to catch desease and illness and parasites...is this true? I looked for Polish breeders here in Quebec and found none or like always don't advertize themselves...

Isabelle

I agree with the other answers. My polish are hardy and easy to raise, other than the head pecking.
I'd like to add that they are not cold hardy and that might be why there are not many in Canada.
We have a well insulated coop and they do good here with Maryland winters but it's much colder up there.

 

[Quechicks]

Thanks all for the answers....

Thomas423....You see I really taught they would be good in the winter (at least the bearded ones) since the comb and wattles are small? My coop has a heat lamp but in minus 35 it is kind of cold even with the heat lamp...hummm I will see what I can do...but I really liked some...

Thank you all for your responses

Isabelle

 

[BuckNBark Farm]

I agree with the other answers. My polish are hardy and easy to raise, other than the head pecking.
I'd like to add that they are not cold hardy and that might be why there are not many in Canada.
We have a well insulated coop and they do good here with Maryland winters but it's much colder up there.

UGGHHH. Mine can't handle the heat, and there are 10 3 month olds in the house! Waiting for the day to move them out- and now, they might not handle the cold.

lol (not really laughing, but don't want to sound mean)

Pam

 

[Jungleexplorer]

Mine have been outside all summer with no problems. In fact I have never seen my polish molt. They always look good. I lost my old WCB this year on the hottest day of the year, but she was really old and had out lived every other chicken that I bought along with her 7 years ago. She was over 8 years old. I would have to say my polish have been very heat hardy.

 

[ralibi]

Hi y'all, I've been lurking here for most of the summer enjoying all the stories and pics! I just read above that Polish are not cold hardy! I bought a young-in this spring from a northern Wisconsin farm and I live even farther north. Winters routinely hit -35 F here. Anybody else raising Polish in the frigid north without heated coops? I know the farm I purchased from didn't heat their coop but maybe they did something special to keep their polish overwintered that wasn't obvious while I was there?