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

[3littlechicken]

Ok thank you

 

[polishmom1744]

No I'm keeping them for breeding stock

Ok cool, I'm glad. It looks like it's gonna come out great! Hopefully it's a cock so he can pass those great genes on to the whole flock!

 

[polishmom1744]

I'm getting 2 polish chicks this spring and 2 arraconas already in the coop I have 2 specked Sussex 1 columbine Wyandotte and might have a red sex link will the polish chicks be ok or will I have to keep them seprite?

thanks

Do not put new chicks in with full grown hens they will be killed. Broody hens will sometimes accept new chicks but they may not. Chicks of different ages/breeds can be mixed with caution and supervision of the transition period.I would be careful putting EE's and Polish with larger breeds like Sussex, Wyandottes and SL's but it could work out if they are all young enough to bond.

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm getting 2 polish chicks this spring and 2 arraconas already in the coop I have 2 specked Sussex 1 columbine Wyandotte and might have a red sex link will the polish chicks be ok or will I have to keep them seprite?

thanks

You can choose whatever works for you. For myself I have had to rehome some assertive LF this past year that didn't play nice with the gentler breeds. My rule of thumb now is not to mix Assertive, Aggressive, or Wilder temperament breeds with gentle/non-combative breeds. As chicks all breeds seem to get along. However by age 18 months to two years old the larger dual-purpose or heavier breeds will tend to bully/injure the non-combative/gentle/smaller breeds simply because they can get away with it - it's a chicken thing! We had a White Leghorn that was a real sweetheart until she reached age 3 and then went aggressive toward the flock. We had a one-year Leghorn hen that got cannibalistic toward the gentler breeds pulling out their crests/beards/muffs/combs.

Non-combative breeds usally on the smaller size - Araucanas, Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, Sultan, Polish, Breda, Cochins, Faverolles, Houdans, Dominiques, Silkies and most bantam breeds (Faverolles are larger hens but so timid that they fit in well with non-combative flocks).
Assertive Mediterranean breeds - all Leghorn varieties, Anconas, Andalusians, Buttercups, Black Spanish, Minorcas, Catalanas, Sicilianas.
Larger aggressive breeds - Black Star and Red Star etc (all Sexlink egg machines), RIRs, NHRs, Wyandottes, BRs, Marans (temperaments vary), Orps, 'Lorps, etc.
Wilder temperament very active breeds - Spitzhauben, Jaerhon, Dandarawi, Fayoumi, Campine (Braekel or Gull-type breeds), Friesian, Crevecoeur (shy and like to roost in trees).
(These are sample breeds in each category)

Polish hens are a sweet non-combative breed weighing under 5-lbs so I tend to keep my gentle flock all smaller-sized breeds. Delaware, Sussex, Brahmas, Buckeyes, Javas, Jersey Giants, Langshans, etc. are reportedly gentle-natured breeds but because they will reach weights well over 5-lbs I would hesitate to mix them with Polish or any of the smaller non-combative breeds of chickens. Even a large gentle breed can be tempted to bully. Usually the bullying starts when the hens are older since they seem mellower as pullets. Older and bigger breeds can get downright mean toward gentler smaller breeds. Some have reported that having a rooster keeps squabbles down in a hen flock but we aren't zoned for roos so I cannot testify to that experience.

This has just been MHO and experience. Hope this helps you.

 

[polishmom1744]

I had some Orps that got along with Polish and D'uccles but the Wyandottes were very aggressive. I have observed that if the large chickens are more "mellow" and at a serious minority they may remain dominant but not "bully". However it is always better to hare on the side of caution when dealing with living beings.

 

[3littlechicken]

My Wyandotte is the most mello hen I have she does not dare mess with any one she's a goof

 

[polishmom1744]

Well, we are advising based on a sterio type of breeds. That does not always allow for individual personalities. They may all be fine forever, or you may go out to the coop and found one of your birds eyes pecked out! It's hard to tell, of course use your own judgement, we are just sharing our experiences.

 

[Heather7]

Here is my new girl. A friend gave her to me a couple days ago. She is super fun. Her name is Bubbles. Watching her makes me giggle

Please excuse the crazy look... I am a little obsessed

 

[WendyF]

@Heather7Bubbles is adorable! How are her new flockmates accepting her? Lol, that's not a crazy look, that's an 'In Love With My Chicken' look.

 

[Heather7]

When we 1st put the 3 new ones in my girls were not nice. I had to walk away. But within that evening the mean pecking had completely stopped. The 3 are a bit secluded but no one is being too pushy. I am kind of impressed with how smooth it went.

Lol. I am a junkie. My husband laughs and said he won make my run bigger in the spring. I want more. Bubbles is hilarious. She sat at the coop door last night on guard and 2 of the others hadn't gotten in yet. She was pecking at the. I had to move her and she wouldn't get off me. Yep. Instant love