Polish - crest care

[Petermariah]

I have a 14 week old polish. Her name is Pierogi. She is my only crested bird. I think her not being able to see well is a big disadvantage for her in the flock. She doesn’t get picked on but she misses out on snacks and gets left behind often. I’ve also seen her walk right into a post and knock her head. They other day I gave them a little yogurt as a treat and she got it all in her crest. And don’t get me started on how she looks on a rainy day. She’s just a mess. I would like to help her out by tying back her “hair” to get it out of her eyes. I do NOT want to trim her feathers. I was thinking of using yarn of a similar color as her feathers as to not attract any unwanted attention or pecking. I’m afraid to use an elastic tie for fear that someone will swallow it and get sick. I figure that yarn is a natural fiber that if swallowed should pass through fine. Does anyone have any experience on tying back the feathers into a ponytail. Does it work? Does it help?

 

[cavemanrich]

I had Polish hens in the past. Their crests are a PITA in my opinion. It is a high maintenance feature, that I'm not too thrilled with. The chickens are exceptionally beautiful with the crests BTW.
I used to give my hens haircuts,,,,,,, because they would get their mops wet when drinking water. In summer, the mops would get dusty/dirty. In winter, they would freeze from drinking liquid water in cold weather.
I have used rubber bands to make pony tails. It work so so. That is when I decided the barber route.
The hairdos create a tunnel vision for them, being only able to see limited forward. That falls in line as a HAWK MAGNET.
Try the rubber bands. Choose blue or black color bands, so it does not look like a red worm, or green plant stem. Other colors would work also. Don't be worried about them eating the rubber bands. I have never seen one getting eaten. For your peace of mind, just avoid red, and green colors.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,