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

[Marthab1953]

The newest members of our household.

White crested blue polish, and two baby sultans.

Lovey, the polish babe, belongs to my 5 year old.

Very cute congrats!

 

[mrchicks]

Sorry for not updating. Our final count is 5 of the Tolbunts and 5 SL Polish/Egger mixes. I'm charging my camera batteries right now. I'm one of two people left on the planet that does not have a cell phone.

 

[Marthab1953]

Sorry for not updating. Our final count is 5 of the Tolbunts and 5 SL Polish/Egger mixes. I'm charging my camera batteries right now. I'm one of two people left on the planet that does not have a cell phone.

Congrats on your hatch, need to see pictures. Funny about the cell phone.

 

[mrchicks]

Here's one picture. There are 10 total, I'll try for a few better shots.

 

[Marthab1953]

Here's one picture. There are 10 total, I'll try for a few better shots.

Oh how cute. Gotta love them

 

[mrchicks]

These are the sweetest that we have hatched. If you put your hand in, they all try to pile onto it. We have no idea what the gray and black will look like. The roo is a SL Polish, and the hens are eggers.

 

[nate1the1great1]

I have Eggers and polish now i have to try it but first im trying to make a new breed the hardiness of a naked neck the feathers of a silkie the hat of a polish and the colors of a silver laced wyandotte

 

[quailtrail]

Here's one picture. There are 10 total, I'll try for a few better shots.

Sooooo cute!!!!!

 

[quailtrail]

The newest members of our household.

White crested blue polish, and two baby sultans.

Lovey, the polish babe, belongs to my 5 year old.

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[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.

Quote:
Well, one of my 2 LF pullets no longer submits to the matriarch Silkie. As I was saying before the tables can always turn with gentle pullets becoming aggressive at maturity. Our Ameraucana is still submissive to the Silkie matriarch but the Buff Leg got aggressive this past week completely pulling out the beard to the skin of the Ameraucana's throat and started pulling on the Silkies' crests next. We rehomed her this past weekend as I can't have vicious dominance challenges like that around the gentle breeds. Since she's rehomed the other 3 gentle souls pal around together now without fear of being hurtfully attacked. The Buff Leg was calmer in nature than the White Leg we used to have but when the Buff found she could bully others she relished the power in a hurtful way. At least she is in an egg laying flock now and not in freezer camp because she's a gorgeous bird. Heavy dual purpose LF and Mediterranean breeds seem too aggressive for gentle-natured or smaller/bantam breeds.