Polish chickens, Tophats

[SamIamNam786]

So I was going to go get EE, but just was told they are already 4-7 weeks old, and my girls wanted to raise chicks....so now we are deciding on if Tophats will be a good fit. We will get 3 females...we have a coop for later that is 15sq ft...
do they often get lice and mites? Can sprinkling dichotomous earth help? having hemp bedding? or is sand better? Maybe sand for when it is warm and hemp when it gets cooler outsife? how often and where do you sprinkle yours? directly on them?
anything that I should know that might deter me from getting them? We are in NJ, so we have all 4 seasons. We have seen below freezing temps before, and also seen hot and humid temps. Spam me with what I should know before getting them. Thanks!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How many do you already have? I wouldn't keep more than 3 birds in a 15sq foot coop if you have polish and other breeds combined

 

[SamIamNam786]

How many do you already have? I wouldn't keep more than 3 birds in a 15sq foot coop if you have polish and other breeds combined

They would be our first venture into backyard birds.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh! I see, I thought you meant you had broody hens wanting chicks.

They are known for being more fragile. I don't have many issues personally with mine, but I wouldn't discount the risk either. They have a deformation on their skull that makes the crest, which can make head injuries much more common and serious.

Honestly I would probably get the Easter eggers.4-7 weeks is still pretty young, and they tend to be a bit more hardy than polish from my experience and what other people have posted. Unfortunately at this time of year, selection is really limited for chicks

 

[yakitori]

Polish are kind of fun and silly, but with EEs you can get cool colorful eggs! I’ve bought some amazingly sweet older chicks before from a petting zoo, but would probably not get them from the feed store. I guess it all depends on who you’re buying it from.

 

[SamIamNam786]

Polish are kind of fun and silly, but with EEs you can get cool colorful eggs! I’ve bought some amazingly sweet older chicks before from a petting zoo, but would probably not get them from the feed store. I guess it all depends on who you’re buying it from.

We are planning to go to a farm to pick them up.

 

[yakitori]

We are planning to go to a farm to pick them up.

interract with them a bit and see if they’re skittish. the ones kept in stock tank tend to be more fearful