new young polish hen worries

[tracy 5447]

hi, i bought a polish hen app 15 weeks old yesterday, i only have four other birds, a bantam silkie sussex cross a black rock and 2 others about the same size as the black rock.
i put the hen with the others and they are basically ignoring her, the silkie x had a peck but mostly she has been left out, i trimmed her crest a bit so she can see whats going on but she stays where i put here, i physically have to go and move her around the pen. i take her to food and water and move her to the shaded dust bath, she stays in that place with her head slightly bowed. its heartbreaking to watch. she wouldn't come out of the coop this morning and the others showed a slight interest and went back in to see but thats the only interaction she is getting. i know its a big change from the breeders shed but she actually looks depressed. she eats and drinks well and is pooping ok. i know its early days yet, but is there anything i could do to help? (she was running about the breeders shed just fine)

 

[Jessica Thompson]

I have had plenty of polish I don't think it's good to have polish with other breeds she needs to be with other polish like herself when I hatched a polish chick and added it to other ones they regected it but when it was with other polish it was fine

 

[chuckachucka]

True polish chickens often do not gtt on well with other breeds but it is not hopeless. It can take months for a new chicken to be fully incorporated into the flock.

You say you trimmed her crest but are you sure she actually can see well? My polish has a VERY full crest naturally that would render her completely blind if I did not cut it and I have to cut it a lot in the front to expose her eyes. When she was younger I only trimmed it a little and she could only see down around herself and was very dejected and terrified of everything. So I all but made her bald around her eyes and now she has perked right up. Also she got a lot more confident once she reached maturity and stated laying. polish are very timid naturally but like most pullets get braver when they mature.

 

[tracy 5447]

oh no, i could go and get another one i suppose. but i would be running tight on coop space. i didn't realise that i shouldn't get a poland with other breeds, i just thought she would be a nice addition to my small flock. im stuck on what to do for the best. i will need to phone the breeder and see if he has any left as they were selling super fast. thanks for the reply

 

[chuckachucka]

oh no, i could go and get another one i suppose. but i would be running tight on coop space. i didn't realise that i shouldn't get a poland with other breeds, i just thought she would be a nice addition to my small flock. im stuck on what to do for the best. i will need to phone the breeder and see if he has any left as they were selling super fast. thanks for the reply

Yes it is not that commonly known that Polish do not mix well. But you don't necessarily have to have two. I have only one (the girl in my avatar pic) and she is totally happy now with my other breeds.

 

[tracy 5447]

ok so its not hopeless, thats great. i trimmed as much as i dare but i think she can only see down the way, i am happy to snip away as much as it takes, being young she still had what looks like fluff in with her feathers. her crest is really big too. ok i will get the scissors out. thank you

 

[chuckachucka]

Be careful not to cut too lowon the feather shafts or they can bleed. I have often wondered why polish chickens have such big crests that make them unable to see. They look pretty but are totally impractical!

 

[chuckachucka]

Here is a pic of my girl Soufflé's haircut right now. I haven't trimmed it again for a couple of weeks.

 

[JedJackson]

Adding any single chicken, Polish or not, to an established flock is going to cause an upheaval. Pecking order will have to be readjusted to account for the new bird. I'm actually surprised there is not more pecking and fighting going on, but it sounds like she's just being ignored instead. Unless they're only picking on her when you're not around.

I think you are doing the right things by making sure she's getting feed and water, and trying to improve her vision. You can use one of those Velcro strips used by computer people to tie her crest back if you want-- make sure you to put it midway up the crest, not at the base, and make sure the feathers aren't being pulled, just held up.

Otherwise, keep your eye on her. If things get worse, you may need to keep her in a separate area or cage in the coop for a while to keep her protected and further familiarize her to the flock, but out of harm's way. Getting another pullet her age might not be a bad idea-- it would hopefully give her a friend and take the pressure off a little.

 

[tracy 5447]

Hi, i just called the breeder who informed me that she is actually 24 weeks old.
any way, i did a trim and honestly i am so happy, she is wandering around the pen and making herself known, she is getting the odd peck but she seems like a different hen. she just had a go at my 6 month old bengal kitten who went near the pen. what a confidence boost for her in just an hour. i will try and upload a pic. thank you so much for the advice.