Is Dona Lou a rooster?

[tari]

This beauty is 5.5 months old, no other Polish in my flock of 11 Black Austrolorps, Cuckoo Marans, Easter Eggers. There's no crowing but she/he is getting more feisty and self assured around the others. Any idea if I have a cockerel here?

 

[Duck_life]

Pullet? I've never owned any polish, only silkies and other breeds. I don't think it is healthy to have just 1 polish chicken in a flock..?

 

[sourland]

It's a pullet, and good that she is becoming feisty as Polish are frequently picked upon in a mixed flock.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Maybe her feistiness will help her later on, for the aforementioned reasons...

 

[tari]

Thanks all. I had four one-day-old Polish from Purely Poultry. One died immediately and two others were nabbed by a hawk or fox in a half hour interval one day. So now, just Dona Lou. I was hoping for a rooster.... She has been raised from the start with all the other hens and they get along. Maybe in the Spring I'll try to find a rooster to add to the flock.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Hi @tari it's nice to meet you. I don't own Polish, but have looked in to them a few times. Fron what I understand the easiest way to sex them (at least older birds) is the shape of their crest. The females have a soft looking afro, while the males have a more spiked/crazy crest.

This is a female...

This is a male...

Your pullet is beautiful by the way. I love her color.

@Duck_life I know you said you've not owned Polish, nor have I. I'm curious though if you could elaborate a little bit on why polish should not be kept singular. I know that's true about Silkies, which we also keep. I've just not heard that about Polish. I'm asking because I almost bough a single pullet the other day.

 

[Duck_life]

Hi @tari it's nice to meet you. I don't own Polish, but have looked in to them a few times. Fron what I understand the easiest way to sex them (at least older birds) is the shape of their crest. The females have a soft looking afro, while the males have a more spiked/crazy crest.

This is a female...
View attachment 1940981

This is a male...
View attachment 1940982

Your pullet is beautiful by the way. I love her color.

@Duck_life I know you said you've not owned Polish, nor have I. I'm curious though if you could elaborate a little bit on why polish should not be kept singular. I know that's true about Silkies, which we also keep. I've just not heard that about Polish. I'm asking because I almost bough a single pullet the other day.

Polish prefer being with their own kind. They also easily get picked on because of the feathers on the top of their head. like @aart mentioned, good thing she has a feisty personality so she will be able to defend herself incase they do end up pecking at her head.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Polish prefer being with their own kind. They also easily get pick on because of the feathers on the top of their head. like @aart mentioned, good thing she has a feisty personality so she will be able to defend herself incase they do end up pecking at her head.

Gotcha.

 

[aart]

ike @aart mentioned, good thing she has a feisty personality

That was @sourland

It's a pullet, and good that she is becoming feisty as Polish are frequently picked upon in a mixed flock.

 

[tari]

Hi @tari it's nice to meet you. I don't own Polish, but have looked in to them a few times. Fron what I understand the easiest way to sex them (at least older birds) is the shape of their crest. The females have a soft looking afro, while the males have a more spiked/crazy crest.

This is a female...
View attachment 1940981

This is a male...
View attachment 1940982

Your pullet is beautiful by the way. I love her color.

@Duck_life I know you said you've not owned Polish, nor have I. I'm curious though if you could elaborate a little bit on why polish should not be kept singular. I know that's true about Silkies, which we also keep. I've just not heard that about Polish. I'm asking because I almost bough a single pullet the other day.

Thanks, Trimurtisan, this is a great site to get good info from experienced chicken keepers! This Polish's head feathers were always different than the other Polish so I thought she might grow into a cockerel. I do love the wild crest feathers of the Polish roosters! The other birds treat her equally so far.