Poor Polish -- What do I do?

[Sunny-Side Up]

I really had no idea what thread to put this on, so let me know if it needs to change.
I got new chicks in February, and one of them was a Silver Laced Polish. I really wanted one (partly because of the funky hairdo), and I had no idea what would come with it...
Now, I feel horrible. I never should have gotten one. It feels so cruel that these poor birds should have this giant thing on their heads that makes everything so hard! My poor Polish is absolutely freaked out of me -- like if she gets within five feet of me, it will be the last thing she does. She is always nervous because she can't see anything with her crest in the way, and whenever she tries to peck at something, she misses it by a few inches.
So, my whole question is, is there anything I can do to help her with her crest? Like trimming or pulling it back like a ponytail? I know most feathers have blood running through them though... Has anyone else has this problem?

 

[Sunny-Side Up]

 

[Tiggerandfriends]

I don’t have Polish chickens, so I can only do recommendations using background knowledge. If you want to try cutting her feathers, I would research cutting chicken feathers or even cutting duck wings, for they usually talk you through how to identify where the blood is in the feathers and how to treat it if you do cut too much of the feather and is starts to bleed. As for her being afraid of you, taking care of the crest may help. I have been working with a Muscovy duck who is terrified of people, and I can recommend some ways to help her fear if helping her with her crest does not help. Please keep in mind my tips may not work or may seem unconventional. First, let her go at her own pace and don’t be too discouraged if it takes a while or the process takes a few steps back. Spend some time everyday near her, like reading a book near her or putting her food and water on the ground or in her dish, but either don’t pay attention or only talk to her. This can show her you won’t do anything to her that she doesn’t like. Using a snack like some veggies that she likes can help her become more comfortable with you. No matter what you do, don’t push her unless absolutely necessary. I don’t touch or pet my Muscovy, but there are times when she gets hurt and I have to grab her to make sure she’s okay. If you would like me to further explain my methods of helping my duck learn to trust me, just let me know. Good luck with your new chickens.

 

[Sunny-Side Up]

I don’t have Polish chickens, so I can only do recommendations using background knowledge. If you want to try cutting her feathers, I would research cutting chicken feathers or even cutting duck wings, for they usually talk you through how to identify where the blood is in the feathers and how to treat it if you do cut too much of the feather and is starts to bleed. As for her being afraid of you, taking care of the crest may help. I have been working with a Muscovy duck who is terrified of people, and I can recommend some ways to help her fear if helping her with her crest does not help. Please keep in mind my tips may not work or may seem unconventional. First, let her go at her own pace and don’t be too discouraged if it takes a while or the process takes a few steps back. Spend some time everyday near her, like reading a book near her or putting her food and water on the ground or in her dish, but either don’t pay attention or only talk to her. This can show her you won’t do anything to her that she doesn’t like. Using a snack like some veggies that she likes can help her become more comfortable with you. No matter what you do, don’t push her unless absolutely necessary. I don’t touch or pet my Muscovy, but there are times when she gets hurt and I have to grab her to make sure she’s okay. If you would like me to further explain my methods of helping my duck learn to trust me, just let me know. Good luck with your new chickens.

Thanks! I'd love to hear more of your tips!

 

[Tiggerandfriends]

Thanks! I'd love to hear more of your tips!

I rescued my Muscovy from a small animal auction. Her previous owners let their population of Muscovies go unchecked, so they had so many. She has never been handled

 

[Tiggerandfriends]

I rescued my Muscovy from a small animal auction. Her previous owners let their population of Muscovies go unchecked, so they had so many. She has never been handled

Sorry, hit the wrong button. I’ve had for a little over a year, and she has gone from flying to the top of my shed at the sight of a person and only coming down for food and water when she couldn’t see anyone to letting anyone come within a couple feet, not flying away, and eating when people are no closer than a couple feet away from her. She was completely wild and wasn’t touched for her first year of her life, so I consider how far she’s come as a huge accomplishment. In the morning, I let her out of her house(she went from spending her time on my shed to letting me or my family lock her up in her house at night) if she’s in her house and give her her food and water. Sometimes I ignore her when I do this, but I usually talk to her, so she learns my voice and myself and knows I won’t touch her; she does not like being touched. Then I turn my back to her and feed my rabbits, who are housed right next to her, which shows her I’m not here to do anything she doesn’t want me to do. Sometimes I talk to her when I’m done. On days when my parents let my birds out, she may not be fed when she usually does, so I’ll walk out to feed her a little later than usual, and she’ll meet me looking for food. Sometimes I just feed her, other times I hold out her food dish or set it on the ground and sit down a little distance away, just to let her figure herself out and see if she wants to trust me. I leave her alone for a little while after I feed her. If I am home during the day, and have some snacks for her, I’ll spend some time sitting on the ground and feeding and talking to her, letting her come as close as she wants, showing her I’m not going to touch her. I give her fresh water and sometimes fresh food several times a day, and repeat what I do in the morning. At night, I give her fresh water and lock her up, talking to her when I do it. If she doesn’t want to be locked up, I talk to her for a little bit before shutting the door to the house and leaving. Some mornings I’ll stick my hand in her house and look away, letting her decide what she wants to do. She usually retreats to the back of her house, but lately she’s been biting my hand. If she gets hurt, I catch her and make sure she’s okay, treat her injuries as best I can, then let her go. This is what I usually do. If you would like videos or steps, let me know. If this helps, let me know