Polish Behavior

[Rugerlady]

I have never had a polish before and purchased my first one today. She is such a little love! So sweet and loves to be held but then I put her in her brooder with her integration partner and she won't get her face out of the corner! It's as if she is hiding! Any thoughts or suggestions?

Just won't take her face out of the corner now for anything!

 

[Michael OShay]

You have a beautiful White Crested Black Polish pullet. Polish are often shy as they tend to get picked on (because their crests keep them from seeing well) by other chickens. I used to have some Golden Polish and they were delightful birds, but I was not able to integrate them with my other more rugged standard breeds for this reason. I did however successfully integrate them in with some Black Silkies. I would put your two birds in a pen with a dividing fence between them (where they can see each other clearly), and put their food and water on opposite sides of their pens from each other. Then slowly over the course of tow or three weeks, I would gradually move the food and water closer to the center divider until they were literally eating and drinking with only a strand of wire between the two birds' food and water bowls. In this way, they will get accustomed to each others presence. Once they are eating and drinking together with only the wire between their food and water bowls, I would remove the dividing wire at night while they are roosting and replace the two food and water bowls with single larger ones in the center of the pen where the dividing wire was. I think you won't have any problems successfully integrating them in you do it slowly in this manner. Good luck.