Why won't my Polish fly? Will she ever?

[@~rosecityfarmgirl~@]

Buttercup the bearded buff laced Polish, 5 months, has yet to successfully fly down from the coop (or make it UP there for that matter). She'll hop and glide in the yard occasionally, but she can't fly up to the coop (about 3 feet), and she tried flying down once. Landed on her li'l beak

Now, she just waits for me to pick her up and set her down (I've tried waiting and walking away. She just sits down in the coop and naps until I go get her). Is this a 'Polish' issue? Between the crest, beard and muffs, she can't see much. Will she ever be able to fly up? Or fly in general? I have 2 Leghorns who flap their mighty wings to go up and down all day. I just don't want her to be left in the run after dark if I'm out

Thanks!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't have polish, but I suspect she can't see. You can trim the feathers around her head so she can see better.

 

[luvmychickas]

I had an amazing polish that had the biggest crest I even seen, she could not fly up at all. She live with my silkies and I called that pen my blind chicken pen LOL. I have one that doesn't have a nice crest and she flies and roosts just fine. I am assuming she just can't see, if you aren't showing her, just take a nice sharp pair of scissors and trim her crest so that she can see

 

[@~rosecityfarmgirl~@]

Whew.... I'm glad it's just a 'sight' thing

I'm planning on showing her next summer, will she have moulted by then? I don't want to trim anything that isn't going to grow back!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Good point...I trimmed feathers on some of my birds LAST YEAR and they still haven't molted them out yet. That could prove an issue. Have you tried using a hair-tie? Seriously...some people can make it work. Some birds will tolerate a hair-tie. I know mine won't though.

 

[@~rosecityfarmgirl~@]

Quote:
I'll try it! I have lots of those ouch-less elastics

She's going to look like even MORE of an 80's rocker