Polish Chickens with mixed flock

[searchgunn]

Good morning all! Three questions about POLISH HENS. With a mixed flock how long did it take to inter-grate your polish with other chickens? And do you trim their little mop tops? And lastly how do they fair in the weather? I have been reading they don’t do well outdoors in cold climates. Are we a cold climate here on Vancouver Island? Thanks all!

 

[nuthatched]

You can integrate any type of chickens with the see but no touch method for 2-3 weeks, on either side of a fence after you quarantine them to make sure they're healthy.
@JustBabyMargo
Can you provide any insight?

 

[All4Eggz]

So first, you can integrate them just like any (for the most part) other chicken. They are usually the ones that get bullied, though.

Yes, I do trim their little "mop tops" because sometimes they can't find their way back to the coop!

For me, (Western Massachusetts [U.S.A]), they do fine in the cold and warm weather. Sometimes we get over 100 degrees F and sometimes below 0 (F)

 

[BDutch]

I believe Polish often don’t mix very well. They get bullied more often because they look different and don’t see as well as most other chickens.

But most of the time they do great with bantams, silkies Cochins and other known as friendly kind a chickens.

(I live in a mild climate and can’t advice on cold hardiness)

 

[JustBabyMargo]

You can integrate any type of chickens with the see but no touch method for 2-3 weeks, on either side of a fence after you quarantine them to make sure they're healthy.
@JustBabyMargo
Can you provide any insight?

Thanks for the tag!

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Polishes (in my experience) don’t mix too well when they are babies. As long as you get them past that stage of growing in those patchy head feathers they *should* be fine. So about 5-6ish months. (What I mean by that is that the babies don’t have as many head feathers as the full grown chickens do, so they get bald spots much easier. Once they get older their head feathers come in packed.) So I would also say to go with the “look don’t touch” method for a few weeks, then do some supervised field trips/visits, and then let them out and see how it goes. Trimming head feathers or putting them up in pony tails is something that will have to be done. I would also recommend always having a plan B (just in case your crested chickens don’t get along with the rest). I just decided to build a separate area for mine (but that’s just because my Baby Margo got bald as a baby and I wanted to).

 

[SeaSea47]

I just had to jump in here because I'm having issues keeping my Polishes with my standard chickens right now! First, listen to everything Just Baby Margo says. She's very knowledgeable and supportive and has been so helpful to me.

Second, I will just tell you about my experience. I have three Polishes who were actually raised with the standard chickens for almost three months, but over the last couple of weeks, my standard chickens started bullying one of them. I finally had to bring her inside and doctor her up for a few days (including cutting her crest feathers), and they still pick on her a little now that she's reintegrated with the flock. The other two seem to do okay with the rest of the chickens, but I did notice today that one is missing a couple of tail feathers. So, I feel like they may be starting to pick on her too.

Also, I plan to let my chickens start free-ranging in the next few weeks, and I'm 100% certain a hawk will snatch them up very easily. As a matter of fact, one of my girls got out today, and I was able to sneak right up on her and catch her from behind. So, with all of this in mind and with recommendations from others here, I decided to separate my Polishes as well. That's on my agenda for this week — to build/buy them their own little coop and run. They'll be closer to the house than the other chickens and just be our three little pets and live out their lives in peace.

 

[adstowe]

I've had one polish. A bantam cockerel. He actual took charge over my adult EE roo. It was hilarious, but the hens used to pluck out his head feathers and ultimately I ended up rehoming him to another flock that treated him better. Some birds are more tolerant. The ones I had at the time were not and I didn't feel it was fair to him. He was a cool little dude though!

 

[searchgunn]

You can integrate any type of chickens with the see but no touch method for 2-3 weeks, on either side of a fence after you quarantine them to make sure they're healthy.
@JustBabyMargo
Can you provide any insight?

It’s kind of a long story. So I ordered two point of lay polish hens. When I got them I realized they were probably only 12 weeks…they were still cheeping. Kept them separate in an enclosed area within the run and separate perch area at night. Bring them out in the morning and I’m in the evening. After a couple weeks I realized one was definitely a rooster. So I took back and exchanged as I already have a rooster with 5 existing hens. All mixed breed…
Another 3 weeks go by and I’m starting to be suspicious that this one as well is a rooster. I had removed the barrier at this point but the two polish just stayed way by themselves in the corner. I posted on here with a pic and sure enough another rooster!! So I exchanged again and this time I know it is now two hens. They are the sweetest little darlings. I kept them separate for two weeks again and have just taken the barrier down a couple days ago. The hens seem fine but my rooster is aggressive!! So I am still taking them in and out. I worry that they don’t find their way to a covered area when it rains other then the little lean to I set up for them. Will they eventually become one big happy flock? Should I trim their face feathers? I’m worried for the winter if they won’t stay dry under the covered part of the run with the rest of the flock! Thanks so much for reading this very long story!! Lol

 

[searchgunn]

So first, you can integrate them just like any (for the most part) other chicken. They are usually the ones that get bullied, though.

Yes, I do trim their little "mop tops" because sometimes they can't find their way back to the coop!

For me, (Western Massachusetts [U.S.A]), they do fine in the cold and warm weather. Sometimes we get over 100 degrees F and sometimes below 0 (F)

Thank you! Weather just like ours. And I’m going to attempt a trim!!!