Polish and standard breeds???

[chicklips]

I have heard that polish can not be kept with standard breeds, is this true??

Thanks, Linda

 

[19hhbelgian]

Well, if it is I'm breaking the rules.

I have all my chickens together - polish, australorps, soon EE's, and also a few bantam's. At the same time, I guess it depends on how aggressive your birds are though.

 

[amyc]

I think that's because some of the standard chickens may pick at the polish crested's crest.

That being said, I have one polish crested in with my 10 week old babies, and in another pen I have 4 week olds with a polish crested and nobody has picked on anyone.... yet.....

 

[ChickensInTheNorthWoods]

I have had no issues the past 2 years with my polish being housed with my standard breeds.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've got 2 polish who are 6 weeks old. They're in with 3 brooder mates (a cochin, australorp, and barred rock), and 2 birds that are nearly 3 months. There haven't been any problems with picking.

One of the polish, however, has gotten her white crest super nasty in the watermelon & dirt. It's brown.

 

[chicklips]

Thank you for all your help. I got a polish today and then I read you couldn't put the two together. DH was not willing to make another coop(just made one and he hurt his back). I will start the intergration sunday!!

 

[chseeads]

Yeah, when I've had Polish before they did fine with all the others in general.

When they are young and just getting all the pinfeathers in their crests is when they're more apt to have problems with other ones picking them I think. I did have a few issues with that before..... When they get grown and fully feathered they do okay.

 

[wanda047]

Well... my experience has not been so positive. I just built another small coop after my polish chicks were pecked half to death by my cochin chicks. I understand they have to do the "pecking order" thing... but when I saw blood the second day ... that was enough. The polish chicks were put back in their brooder until I could build a separate coop. They are now all living un-happily next door to each other. Their runs are side by side and the cochins still try to beat the Polish up through the fence. Maybe others have had luck with putting polish with other breeds but I have not. And these were 4-6 week old chicks... not grown chickens.

I will add that I also have a breeding pair of silkies and a breeding pair of polish which share fences.... one fence divide their runs. The silkie roo is always jumping on the fence trying to get to the Polish. After two months you'd think they'd at least try to get along.

 

[kathyinmo]

My 44 chicks are 5 weeks old, and all are together. 5 are Polish Crested. I have not had any problems. I hadn't heard that, and will sure keep a close eye on them. Kathy