Polish Black Crested Dilemma

[fnixon1979]

Chicken Dilemma of the day:

This morning putting the babies out (8 week olds), it was sprinkling. I went out just now to check on them all and the girls had pecked all the feathers on Cher down to the nubs and it started bleeding. Most know that chickens will start to peck till they have pecked them to death once blood is drawn.

A) How do I get them to stop? I have now isolated poor Cher (AKA Black Crested Polish Chicken) and

B) Is this typical for them to do this to a Polish? They are not doing it to the other Polish 8 week old.

C) Could it be that she just was wet on the top of her head????

This group is all mixed rare chicken hens, there are no roo's.

 

[rainbowrooster]

It has been our experience that Polish do better with there own. They will pick on each other sometimes especially the males. We often tape "up" the crests on the males so they cant be picked.

 

[Michael OShay]

Because of their crests, Polish get picked on by other standard breeds (often badly). For this reason, we ended up moving our Polish out of the main flock and into their own enclosure along with our Silkies (for the same reason with the Silkies). Our Polish and Silkies got along fabulously and even produced some of the most beautiful crosses I have ever seen.

 

[fnixon1979]

...

Because of their crests, Polish get picked on by other standard breeds (often badly). For this reason, we ended up moving our Polish out of the main flock and into their own enclosure along with our Silkies (for the same reason with the Silkies). Our Polish and Silkies got along fabulously and even produced some of the most beautiful crosses I have ever seen.
[/quote

I never thought about that! The blonde one does not get picked on at all. I don't have another place for her and I got these two with the rest of them as babies. I may have to find them a Polish friendly home but they are SO gorgeous!!!!

 

[Michael OShay]

At this point for whatever reason (who really knows the mind of a chicken) the other breeds have decided to make Cher their target, but at some point, they will likely begin picking on the blonde Polish as well. (