I have to talk POLISH!

[tmasker]

Here is my "Polly Bird". She is spoiled rotten. She has her own condo since the other hens pick on her. Now she has two white silkies and one white frizzle bantam that may be a roo as roommates. The Frizzle protects her from the larger hens from the other coop when everyone is out to free range!

 

[cottagechick]

Apparently I spoke too soon. Since I got rid of the LF EE and Sex link my Polish hasn't been picked on. I left the 7 month olds in with the 11 week olds for several hours today (usually the big girls free range the yard) I noticed tonight that the little polish had been pecked a bit. Not so bad that she was injured or bloody, but enough so that I noticed right away the missing feathers. She seems to be able to get away from them most of the time. I guess they must have cornered her. The big girls (all of my girls are bantams but these are older) can get in and out of the run because I leave the top of the coop open a crack during the day. The little ones haven't figured this out yet. I hope they get it worked out because I was hoping when we are gone to be able to leave them together in the run. Do you think it will get worse or better as they get older?

 

[seminolewind]

My 3 Polish girls spend every day in the bushes. They sneak into the coop to eat. So I think I'm going to work on a "Polish Town".

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote:
I never thought I could have anything but free range chickens but when I decided to breed Polish I had to commit to them not hanging with the flock. Everytime I let them out I'm reassured that this breed does well confined.

 

[cottagechick]

She actually seems to be more outgoing and less timid than the other little ones. (They are really not THAT little any more...I will have to stop calling them that

) I don't THINK it was any of them. The only chasing I am seeing is the two older girls when they are in the run with the younger. When they think the young ones have something they want the will run them out of the way and the young ones will hide. And all of the little ones seem equally cowed by the big girls. I THINK if I decide to let them all have the run of the yard the two groups will tend to stay away from each other....I just started letting them sleep in the same coop a month ago and They have only been forced to remain in the same run/coop area during the day for about a day and a half during the last month. I am not sure if they will ever integrate. I am trying to decide if this is just normal pecking order stuff that will work itself out or if it is going to be a problem and I will have to keep them separated. I really hope I am right and it is just the big girls picking on her because she really screams if she is separated from her brood mates for more than a second.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

remember how the hatchery shorted me a blue polish and sent me a buff laced and i was bummed because i already have a buff laced and i wanted a good chance of getting a blue pullet? (i only ordered two of each color)

well this is what my "buff laced" looks like today...

 

[seminolewind]

So what the heck is that?

 

[aubreynoramarie]

a splash!!!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I never thought I could have anything but free range chickens but when I decided to breed Polish I had to commit to them not hanging with the flock. Everytime I let them out I'm reassured that this breed does well confined.

I see what you mean. My 5 have been free range. 3 stand under a bush all day. So I am working on getting a roo or hatching a roo . I've had real bad luck so far. 10 chicks dying, then hatching 2/10 and they both died. Now I have 2/9 left in the bator, and 7 days to go.

I'm working on a pen , it's about 12 x 16 plus fenced around a nice low shade tree. Lots of room. And I'll be putting in an auto door.

I have my silkies separate in a cute coop and pen, and last year, all 5 Polish found a hole in the fence and decided to move in with the silkies. It was hysterical. But too many together. They had to come out.

But you're right. They would probably have more freedom in a big pen.

 

[muddyhorse]

our polish are housed separately from the other breeds. one pen for lf and one for banty. they are both 12x12 dog kennel panels ( craigslist ) and then they have a house in the pen. I highly recommend netting over the top. you can get 15'x45' rolls of anti bird netting at home depo for $20. it is in the garden section. hang something shinny from the net so the hawks can see it. polish have a hard time seeing hawks due to the crests.