White Crested Black Polish Roo. Bantam or Standard?

[Ghostchick]

The pic is a month old, not the chicken!

 

[Shkittles]

Camera Battery dead and have to wait to take pictures till tomorrow once we get the right kind of batteries.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Yeah, he looks like a standard. My hen's name is Patty Pom Pom (Ms. Pom Pom). Such a bouncy breed, aren't they? I hope your Polish roo feels better soon. Roosters often fall victims to the pecking more often than hens because they submit to the hens more to make them happy. It is unlikely the pecking will stop. You'll have to watch out because if the hens find out that these feathers can also be a fun thing to eat, Pom won't be the only chicken with pecked plumage. I've been through that, and it's not fun. There are a number of things you can do to take control of the situation, but only when the time comes. Right now, he is in no condition to go through any more experimenting. Let him heal first.

Hopefully with some rest time, he'll be a gorgeous male once more and an excellent protector.

 

[OpheliaChick]

Thanks everyone!! You have all been a real help.

Ghostchick - Elvis is so handsome!

Unfortunately it is not just one bird that is pecking Pom. The first day I saw an Australorp pecking at him, a few days later it was a Orpington. Even the Silkies were getting a piece of him.

ThePolishPrincess - My flock have already found that feathers can be a tasty treat.

I had to pull a Australorp(?) feather out of a Silkies' mouth one day. I read some where on BYC that sometimes chickens that eat feathers are not getting enough protein. I started mixing some plain yogurt in with their crumbles as a treat hoping that that would solve the problem but they still pecked at Pom. So now I keep him separated from the others; I placed a cage in the coop and a cage in the run and I just move Pom back and forth between the two.

!Shkittles! - I look forward to seeing Batman!

Again, thank you everyone!!!!

 

[Shkittles]

Sorry no pic yet of Batman but we were running all over today with groceries and getting stuff we needed but we couldn't find the right kind of batteries for the camera so we'll have to wait till either tomorrow or Monday. If i have any say in it it'll be tomorrow when we get the batteries.

!Shkittles!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

You can also try gamefowl feed if there is a protein problem. I recently had to switch because my poor Wyandotte became a chew toy. I tried the game feed, though it was 10 bucks more than the layer pellets, and the difference is dramatic. No more pecking. I took that risk that it could also be because they were bored but in the end a protien lack was really the problem. Yogurt is cool, and sometimes affordable, so see how it works. If a problem continues, you can also try hot-pick to spray on the pecked birds. My girls seem unfased by it but some people swear by it.

 

[Radiant Hen]

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Hello,

I haven't figured out how to add photos yet, but I made an attempt--without reading directions, of course ;-). My neighbor ordered chicks too and also got a White Crested Black Polish with no explanation, and the poor thing suffered the same fate of getting pecked to bloody. He brought the little 3 week old to me and asked me to take him, which I have. right now s/he's in a cage that's in with my hens so s/he can see other chickens but not get pecked. I too am wondering if the elaborate "hat" will attract pecking from my girls when s/he gets older. It seems probable to me. Also, I've read that this breed doesn't do well in cold, and they shipped this chick to Northern Vermont! I called the hatchery and suggested they think about the climate before sending out such exotics. Has anyone reported the pecking to McMurray? I think they should know.

If anyone does have info. on how this breed fares with other "Non-hat" breeds, I'd love to hear it too.

 

[Shkittles]

Radiant Hen,

With the pecking i've separated mine from the chickens and he's now living with the ducks who are scared of him which is a good thing because they don't bother him. Once he's all healed up i'm going to put him back in with the chickens and observe. if it starts again i guess he'll just be living with the ducks. i don't really think there's anything the hatcheries can do about the pecking because some breeds are prone to being picked on if their put with other breeds like the Polish because of their crests which the other birds just think they look different so they try to figure out what it is. Also when they ship out the chicks to areas where it's cold and snowy alot they probably expect they buyers to know what they're breed/breeds need and how well they are with the local weather. As for me living in central ohio, i have my Polish and a Silkie so what i'm going to do is have a heat lamp on during the night for them if they need to get warmed up.

I hope you enjoy your little Polish! Mine is the nicest chicken i have and it's a boy! How unusual is that!

!Shkittles!

ETA: Still working on getting the battery.

 

[Radiant Hen]

Hiya,

There's been a misunderstanding: The man who ordered the chicks ordered all egg-laying, non-ornamental hens that are cold-hardy and didn't order the one Polish that was thrown in. Therefore, the company decided on their own to ship a bird like this, not knowing if this farmer heats in winter (which he never has). I understand they can't control pecking, but it seems unkind to me to send a bird with a "hat" that will likely draw pecking, along with an order of completely unrelated birds that don't have it and WILL be curious. So I called Meyer Hatchery and let them know how many of these incidents I read about on the forum, and made the consumer suggestion that they be careful where they send this docile and beautiful breed.

So far I love my little one. Hen or rooster, it is a calm and people-oriented little bird and cute as a proverbial button. I hope the others eventually accept him/her. Good luck reintroducing yours too! Hey, if the ducks get along with him, wonderful anyway.

Warm Regards,
Tanya

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Tanya,

I wouldn't panic just yet. Read back a few posts ago to where I gave instructions on integrating Polish with other breeds. Just follow those instructions as much as you can. Sadly, my adult Polish hen passed away earlier yesterday evening, and I'm very upset. Point being, she lived a very happy and successful life with other non-crested birds. I have 5 crested pullets that I'm integrating in the next few weeks. And so far it's going well. Don't lose hope. Perfection takes time. Although, a suggestion, integrating just one bird of ANY breed to a flock that has never seen it before is asking for trouble. Any way you could get a subbordinate buddy, crested or non-crested? She'll do better if she has a friend to stick by.

Oh, and about McMurray. They have this new thing this year where, when you purphase 25 chicks, they throw in a free 'rare' one. Now, we both know the Polish isn't rare, but they are a bit funny looking.