Popcorn Polish - Head attacked

Jordynmacdonald

Hatching
Jul 23, 2025
7
7
6
Hello! I am new to chickens and bought 2 polish and 2 frizzles (all bantam size) from someone. They free ranged together but did not live in the coop together.
Today after work I saw my one polish have missing crest feathers and blood. I’ve put saline on it and wiped it clean.
What should I be doing for this girl?
 

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Polish often get the brunt of the pecking order. You will want to make sure the wound is covered and healed or it's going to continue to get pecked and it can be worse. When chickens see red, it attracts them to peck even more. When I had Polish and they got picked on like this, I sprayed with vetricyn let it dry a bit and then cover with cornstarch to "hide" it. Otherwise it needs separated to heal a bit before returning to the flock.
Polish need to be able to see which helps them to get out of the way of others. Some trim their top feathers and some pull them back with a band. But, in a mixed flock the top feathers makes them a target.
Polish also need to be able to get away in the run and not be cornered. You don't have a bully persay, but it's either top in pecking order or trying to make it's way to a different position. Polish can coexist with other breeds, but the set up has to accommodate them.
 
Thank you, I will try that. What would I do with the bully? She’s a frizzle and definitely more dominant out of the 2 I have and keeps pecking my 2 polish just the one took a lot of damage.
Another bird pecking doesn't make then a bully, they don't understand that other birds have topnots, they're trying to groom off the wierd fluff
 
Hello! I am new to chickens and bought 2 polish and 2 frizzles (all bantam size) from someone. They free ranged together but did not live in the coop together.
Today after work I saw my one polish have missing crest feathers and blood. I’ve put saline on it and wiped it clean.
What should I be doing for this girl?
Welcome To BYC!
You may find this post by @Eggcessive helpful👇
She looks like a polish, and their heads can attract pecking. Yes, it was probably another chicken, but more may have joined in when the red appeared. Do you have cockerel or rooster who might have been trying to mate with her?
I would place her inside a wire dog crate with food and water secured, and put something on to of it, such as a towel. Let her be with the others to stay part of the flock. Spray some saline or wound spray on her bloody head twice a day, and apply plain Neosporin triple antibiotic ointment twice a day. When it heals some and forms a scab, you can use BluKote or gentian violet on her wound to hide the red. I spray every other day to keep it purple. Mine ususally stop pecking with BluKote. Usually, BluKote will usually stop the pecking if started right away in the future. Slowly start to reintegrate her again, but remain nearby so that she is not injured.
 

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