Tell me about your Polish

[bayouchica]

I got three of them & they are about a month or so old.I find them very interesting & cute.

So are they a friendly breed?
Can they free range without a hair cut,lol ?
What age is best to tell their sex?
Thanks, Miriam

 

[Crunchie]

My Polish are pretty friendly, albeit a little flighty sometimes--because it's so hard for them to see, they are a little skittish. But I have a couple of hens that are really sweet. I've never had a problem with any of my roos being aggressive.

I wouldn't free range them without trimming the crest from around their eyes. It just makes them easy targets for predators. But it's easy to give them a "haircut", and honestly I think it's healthier for them in other ways, too--if you have a variety that grows a really large crest, without maintenance it will get wet and crusted w/food, dirt, etc. and that can cause problems. Unless you have show birds, there's no reason not to trim the front of the crest. You don't have to trim too much of the fun stuff away to make them happier!

I don't know at what age you will be able to easily tell their sex...hopefully someone else can chime in here for you...I bought all of my Polish as young adult birds, and at that point it was easy to tell. In general (I think that there are some differences between colors/varieties, I only have experience with what I have which are white-crested blacks), the males will have longer, pointy crest feathers and the females will have a round "poof". Males will have large wattles and females will have tiny ones (in the non-bearded varieties). And of course the roosters will have the "usual" suspect rooster traits--pointy, long saddle feathers and a long, arching tail.

I really like my Polish. They are more high-maintenance than my other breeds, but they are are also more entertaining! They're like the little clowns of the farm.

 

[Miss Sue]

I have one white-crested black Polish hen, and she is really sweet. We've had her about 6 weeks. Supposedly she's a year old, but she does not lay any eggs right now.

She now likes to go out free-ranging with our other hen, but I only let them do that when I am going to be with them. (We lost two hens to predators back in December.) Neither of the hens goes far, but they LOVE to get out and about.

The Polish hen's confidence grows each day, but in general, she's pretty submissive. I would never let her out to free-range without my being around; she would be too much of a target.

For other Polish owners: can you cut their crest feathers without hurting them? Her hair-do does look pitiful when it rains!

Susan

 

[seminolewind]

Mine are 8 weeks old. I have buff laced, and white crested black. The buff laced-well one -his feathers are turning dark. I went to a show and the darker feathered ones were cockerels. Before that, I banded him because he acted like a male. He still does. And he's getting kinda messy hair right now, but not enough to say its really different.
My white crested, well at 4 weeks, my assumed male is now assumed female, and my assumed female is not assumed male. My first clue was that one acted like a female, more submissive and timid . The male is bold, and started growing red wattles and a red sortof comb. Her's are still pale and I don't see a comb.
Out of 7, 2 are really tame. But I see my other chickens get real friendly a week before they start laying, so I'll wait. I would not let them free range unless I'm outside. They are almost goofy birds, I call them airheads, and I love to watch the things they do. None are aggressive.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

They're hilarious, dainty, and goofy.

Mine free range without "haircuts" but I'm going to break down and give the poor pullets a trim. They jump at everything because they don't realize something has walked up beside them.

Plus I distinctly heard two hawks kee'ing this morning, when there had only been one.

 

[BantyChickMom]

Mine are great!
The 2 roos are very friendly, no signs of agression yet.

The pullets (3) are coming around more and more now that they are starting to lay.


They used to jump and run at every little noise, but now they'll come to me, let me rub them, and 1 of them doesn't object to being picked up anymore.

Out of the 10 breeds I've got, my Grandmother "loves" the Polish the best.
She has said many times if she had her own place she would have a yard full of them.

 

[Yonaton]

The white crested black rooster I had that my friend took (to save him from the stew pot because my two white giant roosters were starting to pick on him), is aggressive. My friend has to watch his back anytime he's near the pen or inside it.

 

[bayouchica]

Thanks for the good info, yall. Those three are so much fun to watch. I've been spending alot of time with them,getting used to being held. Never had such an exotic looking breed of chicken here.
There are a couple that will need a trimming already, they've got some full do's. I've been watching them & they aren't acting like roos yet.

Thanks again,Miriam

 

[Redfeathers]

I love mine. My buff laced girl is so friendly and loves to be held and have her poof scratched, she can see very well though. The White crest black girl has to have a trim or else she won't explore much and will just stand still in one place. The rooster has been great up until the day before yesterday when he jumped at me and nailed me in the hand. I gave him a swift kick to the chest, not hard but more of a lift that sent him about four feet backwards, he has been just fine since then. I think I surprised him when I went to pet him on his back and he reacted. My Polish are even friendlier then my buff Orpingtons.