Polish hard to raise?

[brittany6515]

I have had 3 polish chickens in the last 2 months.. when i got them they were about 2 months old.. one got sick and didnt make it the other was sick and coukdnt walk much but later got killed by a hawk. And now my alnost 4 month old isnt acting herself.. shes sleeping all day and wouldnt get up this morning. Shes thin but eats all the time.. Does anyone else have tjese issues with Polish? It seems like i have them for a few months and then they get sick...

 

[blairctchickens]

Just some quick questions, have you checked for bugs and or mites on them? Have you seen any mold in the coop and or pen? What is the temps where you are at? I had extreme heat the beginning of the summer and my Polish did not take well to the heat. So that could be a factor.

 

[brittany6515]

I have not checked for mites but i will when inget home.. no mold.. the weather is pretty good.. it gets in the low 60s at night and nonhotter than 80 during tje day right now.. yesterday her feet were really hot.. after it cooled down her feet were better

 

[BarbiD]

So glad you posted about your Polish! I have a buff laced one (only one in my flock) and I'm brand new to chicken keeping. My girls are almost 6 months old now and my Polish looses more feathers than all the others combined. She also always seems to be scratching herself more than the others and Saturday I came back from a BBQ to find a BUNCH of her feathers in one spot of the yard. I'm not sure if something tried to get her or not since I was not here. On another note, I do not see her dust bathe as much as the others. So, I'm very interested to see if someone who is more familiar with that breed posts here

 

[whychickens2]

I love our polish her name is bedhead. Shes very sweet and my two yr old is her best friend she loves to be carried around the yard. Although she has been sick twice and shes only 5m old, ive had to use tylan twice w her and keep electrolytes in her water...shes always dirty and by that i mean shes always got poo stuck somewhere and her topknot is dirty. Im always washing her lol. Id get another female because shes a sweetheart but i hear the males are not so nice. They just dont seem as healthy as bigger breeds though.

 

[blairctchickens]

So glad you posted about your Polish! I have a buff laced one (only one in my flock) and I'm brand new to chicken keeping. My girls are almost 6 months old now and my Polish looses more feathers than all the others combined. She also always seems to be scratching herself more than the others and Saturday I came back from a BBQ to find a BUNCH of her feathers in one spot of the yard. I'm not sure if something tried to get her or not since I was not here. On another note, I do not see her dust bathe as much as the others. So, I'm very interested to see if someone who is more familiar with that breed posts here

I would check for mites under her wing by blowing on the under feathers. Also she could be molting and or the other girls might be pulling feathers from her. I have read a lot of treads where the other flock mates are really curious about the head feathers and will pull them out. So some reconnaissance is a must to figure this one out. I know there is a lot of debate on using wood ash in dust bathing areas, but my girls love it and I cannot keep enough for them. so you could give that a try as well.

 

[blairctchickens]

I love our polish her name is bedhead. Shes very sweet and my two yr old is her best friend she loves to be carried around the yard. Although she has been sick twice and shes only 5m old, ive had to use tylan twice w her and keep electrolytes in her water...shes always dirty and by that i mean shes always got poo stuck somewhere and her topknot is dirty. Im always washing her lol. Id get another female because shes a sweetheart but i hear the males are not so nice. They just dont seem as healthy as bigger breeds though.

Does your polish roost under any other chickens during the evening? Could be the roosts are not spaced out enough for the bird above poo clear the lower roosted birds, for the poo in her head feathers should not be there. Also could the dusting area be contaminated with poo as well and needs cleaned out. As for a Polish Rooster, I have one and he is great! He loves the ladies and as well my Polish hen is smitten with him. He has been a nice addition to my flock and is been good at protecting the girls and is easy tempered to us when we are in their run.

 

[whychickens2]

Does your polish roost under any other chickens during the evening?  Could be the roosts are not spaced out enough for the bird above poo clear the lower roosted birds, for the poo in her head feathers should not be there.  Also could the dusting area be contaminated with poo as well and needs cleaned out.  As for a Polish Rooster, I have one and he is great!  He loves the ladies and as well my Polish hen is smitten with him.  He has been a nice addition to my flock and is been good at protecting the girls and is easy tempered to us when we are in their run. 

Actually she prefers to sleep under my RIR so she gets pooped on. I try to go out there at night to move her but as soon as i do she side steps all the way back to her buddy and under her lol. Thats good to know about the rooster i held off because ive read and heard they are a bit nutty. Either way i love how pretty they r