It seems everyone is having the same sort of problem.
Polish are weak by nature but they are also very prone to illness and sickness, more so than most other breeds.
There are some breeds that are great with Polish but from what I hear it depends on the particular bird. Some will pick crests and others will show no interest. I had a Sultan rooster that was pecked bald on a snowy day in the middle of the winter. One of my most dominant hens pecked him and after I separated him for a few days, and put him back, it never happened again. We still don't know why to this day.
Sutillman-The vault on a Polish's head can also causes brain damage if it develops in a way it is not supposed to. I have a pullet right now who is pretty anti-social, not very responsive, and to boot, had some of her vault showing, bald, just above her nostrils. I think as a chick, maybe even a developing embryo, she must have suffered some minor damage. Her crest is the largest I have ever had on a Polish, which leads me to think brain damage. But I'm not going to cull her unless I know she is suffering.
Chances are, if your Polish roo was acting like a normal rooster before-hand, he had something else going on. However, he could have suffered from the aftermath of his attack. Or, he could have died of shock. It's a sad thing. Polish do best with their own kind. Like I have said before, Polish roosters are more prone to pecking. I rarely see a full grown hens and full grown rooster fight. He will lay low to whatever his hens want. But non-crested roosters will be the roosters to put their hens in their places. A rooster who can't see a threat will not attack it.
She free ranges with the other birds in the evening and loves it and they are so busy foraging and doing all their chicken rituals that they don't bother her.
