Polish Thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nate1the1great1]

She is gorgeous im getting a black with a white crest polish this week for a replacement for my black one that died i am getting a pullet so im happy

 

[mrchicks]

Make sure to post her picture, I'd love to see her.

 

[nate1the1great1]

Ya i think im getting here this weekend lol

 

[Dawnrenae]

Can't wait til my babes grow up! They are tiny and adorable, but... I love the way they look grown.

 

[chickenlvr123]

My golden laced polish frizzle hen she is 3&1/2 years old

"peanut butter"

 

[sheeshshe]

I have two young polish, they're 2 1/2 months old. They're now in with the rest of my flock, and so far nobody has picked at their crests. Is this a good sign that I won't have to move them? Or will they leave them alone until they're older and hitting maturity?

 

[mrchicks]

My golden laced polish frizzle hen she is 3&1/2 years old "peanut butter"

Some people have great luck keeping their polish in a mixed flock. Personally, I have never been that lucky. Mine were fine for months in the main coop. One morning I opened the coop door to find hysterical, bloody polish birds. They were bad, just from overnight. It was a pair of BO's that attacked them. Luckily they recovered, but I have never put a polish in a mixed flock since.

I have two young polish, they're 2 1/2 months old. They're now in with the rest of my flock, and so far nobody has picked at their crests. Is this a good sign that I won't have to move them? Or will they leave them alone until they're older and hitting maturity?

 

[sheeshshe]

thanks! that helps. so, it is just a matter of time, basically. I had one of my silkies in with them in the main coop before, and she wasnt touched, but a polish fresh looks more tempting to me I may house the polish with the silkies. I am pretty sure I have one male and one female buff laced polish. I wonder what a BLP crossed with a blue or splash silkie would look like LOL

 

[Sylvester017]

I have two young polish, they're 2 1/2 months old. They're now in with the rest of my flock, and so far nobody has picked at their crests. Is this a good sign that I won't have to move them? Or will they leave them alone until they're older and hitting maturity?

Having a bantam and LF mixed flock for 3 years now I find that chickens can't be truly evaluated as pullets. Youngsters can be sweet as pie yet at maturity around 18 months to 2-years-old can become bullies. I have 2 very sweet Silkies that at maturity are assertive little matriarchs and the two LF younger girls submit to them. However I would not be surprised if my LF at their maturity will take advantage of being larger and turn around to bully the Silkies.

Our flock dynamics have changed much over 3 years including re-homing of aggressive birds or death of weak juveniles. We started out with two Silkies. Then we were gifted a White Leghorn pullet. One Silkie was a roo and was rehomed so then we were gifted a Marans pullet. For 3 months all was well with 3 pullets. Then we added a 2nd Silkie pullet when she was 5 months old and the 4 chickens seemed to get along fine. Then the 7-lb Marans viciously attacked the 2-lb Silkie on the day the Silkie was trying to lay her first egg. The Marans who also kept challenging the White Leg was rehomed promptly.

Then we added 5 new pullets - 2 Buff Leghorns, 2 APA Ameraucanas and a Dominique - 1 Buff Leg was gifted to a friend, 1 silkly Ameraucana died, and the Dom chick suffered a seizure. Now we had 2 Silkies, 1 White Leghorn who was alpha, 1 Buff Leg, and 1 Ameraucana. All was peaceful in the flock. However after the White Leg came out of a severe Autumn moult she started aggressive bullying. She had been a good layer and gentle leader until that 3rd year moult and wouldn't calm down. She had to be rehomed.

Flock dynamics and personalities change and probably so will your flock. Just wait and watch. The girls will eventually show you their true colors at maturity. Chickens can't help naturally establishing pecking orders - it's necessary for flock politics; therefore I try to keep the temperaments and sizes of the birds in equal proportions to necessitate fair fights (they WILL squabble). Because of this squabbling trait I will not keep any breed over 5-lb and only known genlte natures in a flock with bantams. Heavy LF or Dual Purpose breeds over 5-lbs are not an option as they can be tempted as adults to bully smaller or gentler breeds just because they can.

Beautiful Heavy LF to me are BRs, Javas, Jersey Giants, 'Lorps, Langshans, Marans, NHRs, Orps, RIRs, Welsummer, Wyandottes, etc. but I have not been successful with these breeds in a bantam/LF mixed flock.

Smaller gentler breeds to me which fall in the under-5-lb category are Ameraucanas, EEs, Araucanas, Breda, Buff Leghorn (calmer than either the White or Brown varieties), Crevecoeur, Dominique, and Polish. Although Brahmas, Faverolles, and Sussex are reportedly docile birds their large body size is not an option for my under-5-lbs requirements.

I also do not consider hyper wilder temperament birds even though they may be lightweight - example, Campine, Braekel (Gull-type breeds), Empordanesa, Fayoumi, Hamburg, Jaerhons, Penedesenca, or flighty bantams or Mediterranean class fowl like Anconas, White or Brown Legs, or Buttercups.

This is not meant to offend any particular breed as I love them all. I'm only explaining the integration of breeds to fit my particular situation. I would love an assortment of colored eggs in my flock but some of these colorful egg layers are not a good mix in a small backyard arrangement.

 

[sheeshshe]

WOW! that's a lot of great information. In my group, I have 2, 5 year old hens, 5, 2 year old hens, and 2, 1 year old hens. But you're right, even though the hens are treating them nicely, there's no way to know that the dynamics won't change when everyone reaches maturity. Perhaps I should just put them in with the silkies and be done with it.