I have to talk POLISH!

[Illia]

I just have to mention -


This is one of my McMurray Brahmas, left, 3 years old. Non-hatchery Brahma, right, 10 months old.

 

[miohippus]

It's a shocker to me considering everything else I got from them was horrible on many levels, not all concerning aesthetics, but - Murray McMurray.

Most of my WCB hens came from them, half are really really nice, and my Silver Laced girl is from them, although I ordered more than just one but the rest died.

that is where i got mine too... i got her about the end of june i wonder if she will get any bigger or if she is full grown right now she is small for a LF, but that dosen't realy matter to me. i wish her sister wouldn't have been killed by a predator she was just as pretty as her sis.

 

[seminolewind]

I think hatchery is basically hit or miss. If you're looking to show or breed birds, private is best. But hatchery chickens are great for the rest of us, if you're looking for utility, personality, and type, but specifically perfection.

I still have the 3 Jerseys I got as hatchery chicks almost 4.5 years ago. And still laying and loveable!
And actually bigger than the 3 blue JG hens from Maria's blue Jerseys.

 

[flower]

Oh baah........everything in life seems hit or miss. My first chickens cam from McMurray about twenty years ago. The birds were all alive heathy . The surprise was a polish that did not survive in his environment the only crested bird and our of 25 chicks only six were hens. I vowed never to order from MM again never realizing what straight run means !!!!

Last year I ordered eggs from a very popular breeder here on BYC. Because they were post office handled eggs, not two many hatched. But from the live ones there is a very nice looking pair of lavender OEGB from blue eggs. They were not the breed that I ordered and should not have come from blue eggs. So what can you say about that ?

 

[aubreynoramarie]

My oldest polish pullet is from ideal and she lays for me just about every day. She is only six months old and she is kicken em out! Shes also about the sweetest little thing on the planet.
I have to admit though, my rooster was ultra friendly until he reached about 12 weeks old then he became incredibly skittish and freaks out when you pick him up so he will most likely be on his way out.

 

[mother o' chicks72]

I got mine from a pullet swap. She turned out to be ill when I got her, some sinus issue. had to put her on antibiotics for a couple weeks. we could have returned her for a refund but she was just too sweet and pretty. She is now happy and healthy and very sweet. She still isn't laying eggs despite being nearly a year old. Hopefully she was just to young before winter and will start up this spring. This pic is from when she was about 5 or 6 months old. I need to get a more recent picture. does she look like good quality?

 

[Illia]

Hard to say with such small image at that angle. She appears to have a decent sized crest and full beard, appears to have a well angled tail, but are her wings normally carried like that? How's her body shape overall/general when viewed from the side? When you feel her breast, is it full and decently round or does the keel poke out with little meat on the sides?

 

[miohippus]

Hard to say with such small image at that angle. She appears to have a decent sized crest and full beard, appears to have a well angled tail, but are her wings normally carried like that? How's her body shape overall/general when viewed from the side? When you feel her breast, is it full and decently round or does the keel poke out with little meat on the sides?

I though that when the keel poke out and ther was little meat on the sides i just meant they skinnie and needed to eat more is that not true?

 

[mother o' chicks72]

Hard to say with such small image at that angle. She appears to have a decent sized crest and full beard, appears to have a well angled tail, but are her wings normally carried like that? How's her body shape overall/general when viewed from the side? When you feel her breast, is it full and decently round or does the keel poke out with little meat on the sides?

she doesn't carry her wings that way anymore, that pic was taken when she was recovering from being ill. I'll see if I can get a better pic later today and I'll check her breast then. Not gonna breed her or anything since roosters aren't allowed in the city, I'm mostly just curious and I may perhaps use her for 4-H at some point.

 

[Illia]

I though that when the keel poke out and ther was little meat on the sides i just meant they skinnie and needed to eat more is that not true?

Most of the time it is true, but I've encountered so many production-bred birds and even simply poor quality Polish who were perfectly healthy, worm-free, got all the food they needed, and still were pretty skinny birds. No hatchery bird I've met was as skinny as a little silver "laced" hen I had named Spangles, she was just sad to feel and look at once culled though! But, even my previous Wyandottes weren't the best looking especially when comparing them to true Ameraucanas and the sort, which really is saying something considering Wyandottes should be fuller and bigger.


I understand the not breeding part.

I've got a Blue Partridge Brahma hen who I only wish I had a male and/or more female friends for, but, in the mean time I do like critiquing her just for fun. She's an absolutely amazing bird to me regardless of a show-bird or not but it's always a fun and educational thing to do, comparing her to the SOP. Even her color, though with no standard or recognition, can be judged especially considering the mealy/mossiness in the penciling.