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

[Sylvester017]

Very interesting. I have only had 1 broody since I got chickens a little over a year ago. I'm suspecting this is the age when if they're going to start they probably will soon. My EE went broody last week. She was in the broody breaker for 5 days. I told my bf 3 days but he felt bad for her and begged me to let her out but I was right and she had to go back in for 3 more days. Took her about 3 days more to lay again. All of my girls are bred for production and breeds that are usually known for not being so broody.

I have an egg steamer thing that makes hard boiled eggs so easy so I make them a lot. I love deviled eggs with horseradish. I too feed them to our chickens about once a week either boiled or scrambled. We're not quiche fans unfortunately but I do use the veggies from my garden to make lots of scramblers. I also hand eggs off to my neighbors and when our collection basket is full I will send it to work my my bf and it gets cleared out in just a few minutes.

I doubt we'd have ducks if we got a ranch. Not sure I'd want to build the whole duck pond thing. We love the Scottsdale area so we'll probably be around here forever. Don't see a whole lot of ponds around here. I'm sure just like a pool it can be done but not sure it's something I'd want to attempt.

Funny you have a garden. I started one after we got the chickens so they can have fun in the raised beds scratching and bathing when it goes fallow for the winter. Now we've got two raised beds and a bag bed to raise veggies for them and ourselves pesticide free and as organic and heritage as we can.

As for duckies - they're easy to please re: water - a baby pool for a couple of ducks will make them very happy - there are some docile breeds to choose from to keep around chickens. Pekins are a great tame breed and they aren't bad layers but like with every breed there's a downside - they're chatty. Of course if you're on water rationing like CA it may be moot.

 

[Nickeechickee]

Quote: I find this interesting. I have one adult EE...she was my first bird (the sole survivor of 4, one ended up a roo and dinner and the other 2 were killed by predators). Her current flockmates include 2 barred rocks, 2 white rocks, 3 RIRs plus some ducks (including a Pekin which is a beast compared to the chickens). The ducks and the chickens more or less stay clear of each other, but my EE rules over the other chickens....I don't know if it is because she is a couple of months older and established herself early on or what. The only one who challenges her is one of the RIRs, who generally bosses everyone, including me.

 

[Nickeechickee]

Quote:
OMG are Pekins chatty. My Pekin is like a dog...will follow you around and is super friendly...but she squawks all the time. Constantly. She is my best layer though...5-6 big fat eggs per week. I LOVE them for baking.

 

[Sylvester017]

OMG are Pekins chatty. My Pekin is like a dog...will follow you around and is super friendly...but she squawks all the time. Constantly. She is my best layer though...5-6 big fat eggs per week. I LOVE them for baking.

For all their racket they are a very endearing breed. Outstanding in the egg department! Personally I love their chattiness but neighbors perhaps wouldn't find it so cute. If there are two of them they will talk to each other all day. My Mom had a large flock of them on her folks' farm and she had a big flock of them when I was a kid. Often I'd hear her wistfully wish for Muscovies but never thought to ask her why - guess it was because Muscovies were QUIET. She kept the Pekins for their lovely eggs.

 

[Sylvester017]

I find this interesting. I have one adult EE...she was my first bird (the sole survivor of 4, one ended up a roo and dinner and the other 2 were killed by predators). Her current flockmates include 2 barred rocks, 2 white rocks, 3 RIRs plus some ducks (including a Pekin which is a beast compared to the chickens). The ducks and the chickens more or less stay clear of each other, but my EE rules over the other chickens....I don't know if it is because she is a couple of months older and established herself early on or what. The only one who challenges her is one of the RIRs, who generally bosses everyone, including me.

I found through time that it will either be the biggest hen or the oldest hen or the biggest-oldest hen that becomes matriarch of the flock. Age and experience usually allow a hen to be matriarch but as newer pullets mature into hens at 18 months to 2 years old they sometimes challenge a matriarch especially if they have size on their side. Currently our 3 year old Partridge Silkie can dominate and chest bump the 2 LF pullets but the 2 year old Black Silkie refuses to submit and pecks back at her. I've seen the 2 Silkies jump 4 feet middair pulling each other's crest feathers and then toodle around later like best friends. The two LF stay out of conflicts with the 3 year old matriarch Partridge even though she is half their size. As the LF pullets mature the tables could be turned but for now the Silkie matriarch "rules the roost."

Our biggest LF Blue Wheaten Ameraucana is the youngest and at the bottom of the pecking order and submits or runs away if challenged - she avoids conflict even though she's the largest in the flock. My friend's EEs are gentle and try to avoid conflict. All in her flock allow the oldest (and biggest) Orp to be alpha.

RIRs, BRs, Orps, Lorps, NHRs, Wyandottes, Marans, Javas, etc are all large Dual Purpose and more aggressive later and if they are biggest in the flock at maturity will begin challenging for matriarch status. We had a 7-lb Marans bully that challenged our 4.5-lb White Leghorn matriarch but the Leg put the Marans in her place promptly. Mediterranean breeds are no pushovers and the White Leg had seniority status even if not the heaviest weight. We had to rehome the Marans who bullied the Silkies and challenged the White Leg. This is one reason I keep my flock birds all gentle-natured and under 5-lbs to equalize the pecking order squabbles for less brutal outcomes - at least while I have Silkies in the mix.

 

[quailtrail]

Moved the 2 polish 5wkold.to the garage. Boy they are flighty little.creatures! They are just so cute. Wish they weren't so scared of us... :/

 

[shannacrew]

After seeing all the cute frizzles on this thread we decided to order eggs and hatch our own. We are on Day seven of incubating our Polish [hopefully frizzle!] chicks--and one odd silkie. We have 12 that are looking good

 

[nate1the1great1]

My americauna bantams are exelent brodies they lay plenty of eggs and most of the time they go broody

 

[Sofi]

Just wanted to share a pic of my Bowie in March, and today

 

[Sylvester017]

Moved the 2 polish 5wkold.to the garage. Boy they are flighty little.creatures! They are just so cute. Wish they weren't so scared of us...

I saw a video where a fellow had a large flock of mixed breeds and just one SLP in the flock. He sat in his chair to watch chicken TV and the little SLP jumped on his chair to talk to him and he would talk back to her - cutest thing. It's good that you have two Polish instead of just one like the fellow did. The Polish are gentle natured and mixing them in a Heavier LF flock is just not what I would do. Your chicks may be skittish now but give them time. Once they learn who their feed and treats come from they'll be eating out of your hand. Wait for them to approach you rather than reaching out at them. Gentle natured fowl are skittish as chicks.