tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post4263561969028527107..comments2023-06-28T21:53:24.312-07:00Comments on On the way to Critter Farm...: It's hard being hen-peckedDannihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623233206043947281noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-79910622221521293542016-02-15T12:37:22.083-08:002016-02-15T12:37:22.083-08:00I just had to respond to the comment of no one bra...I just had to respond to the comment of no one bragging about their smart polish. We have a couple of white crested polish hens that are the leaders of the flock, excellent with other birds, curious, and yes, smart. They help me in the garden. I bring them in when looking for cabbage worms in the kale and they wait for me. When I pull down a leaf, they know that's where the big fat ones are. We are careful adding to our flock. So far we have done well with Buff Orpington, Australorp, Cochin, Cornish, Faverolle, and I've just ordered Sussex and Buckeye. We just look for less aggressive and more friendly heritage breeds. Our mistake was in once accepting a couple of bantams polish. That's a whole new level of challenge w the pecking because of their size. Both are at the bottom of the pecking order, but one has good social skills and has a lovely crest. The other has a Napolian complex and we are having problems with her head feathers getting pecked.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17552000738956846904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-29440588557107192762016-02-15T12:28:27.065-08:002016-02-15T12:28:27.065-08:00I have a bantam polish in with a bunch of standard...I have a bantam polish in with a bunch of standard sized who gets picked on. Everyone else does great. Even her other bantam buddy. My issue is that the blood matts into her remaining crest feathers and stiffens. I can't get it clean without destroying the few feathers she has left. I wish I had put the feathers up in a pony tail when it first started to protect her head more. Now everything sets off the bleeding and the feathers are rock hard. Any suggestions on how to deal with it when the blood turns into rock hard glue. I get about 5 to 10 minutes of gentle washing before she completely panics so I've run gentle water over it trying to break it up but I really have made no progress. And with the feather shafts exposed everything sets it off bleeding again.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17552000738956846904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-11713101171738077922016-02-15T12:23:59.010-08:002016-02-15T12:23:59.010-08:00I've found it depends on the breeder. We'...I've found it depends on the breeder. We've had a lot of luck with white crested black hens. Buff laced not so much, and one of our white crested blue roosters can't see well. I much prefer to pick out polish from breeders I know! Love the breed, they are super friendly and curious, but only if they have the right amount of crest--not some crazy top hat that may please a human, but can't possibly be a good thing from a bird perspective!anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17552000738956846904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-78149698945973681342016-02-15T12:20:35.348-08:002016-02-15T12:20:35.348-08:00We had the same experience. The buff laced are m...We had the same experience. The buff laced are more prone to genetic issues from what I have read. We have much better luck with white crested black or blue. anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17552000738956846904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-39374624742622003202015-10-22T16:56:07.344-07:002015-10-22T16:56:07.344-07:00So what did you do to help this heal. I have a roo...So what did you do to help this heal. I have a rooster who has had all his top feathers picked out and I'm not sure what to do for him. I keep blue coat on his head to hide any blood spots but I would like to know how I can help get those feathers to grow back in.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09963902709542161695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-27308027965111180512008-12-20T05:16:00.000-08:002008-12-20T05:16:00.000-08:00Oh my, poor Dot! What a little chicken sweetheart!...Oh my, poor Dot! What a little chicken sweetheart! Glad she's ok!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-88237403891047914492008-12-15T16:04:00.000-08:002008-12-15T16:04:00.000-08:00*sob* oh, poor Dot!!!!!! Poor girl! *sniff*....Fee...*sob* oh, poor Dot!!!!!! Poor girl! *sniff*....Feel better soon, Dot! I sure hope they aren't as mean anymore...I'm so glad we never had such a problem with our hens...they got pecked, but never bad enough to draw blood...*shudder*Mellimaushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673715214541094159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-34828545418397964002008-12-13T21:37:00.000-08:002008-12-13T21:37:00.000-08:00There is always a price for being different...and ...There is always a price for being different...and beautiful. Glad I'm just one of those. Hmmmm any guesses as to which, snort!<BR/><BR/>You are a good chicken mama. KimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-29531318821383044582008-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:002008-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00I have a bantam hen, very small and confused, that...I have a bantam hen, very small and confused, that was picked on for a long time ( not as badly as Dot ) but she held her own and now seems to have been accepted by the big hens. It's a shame that this has to happen.<BR/>Please keep an eye on Dot and take extra care with her. She may need help her whole life: My little "Squeeky" never seems to understand the world but she brings us joy because she's who she is.<BR/>You did such a good job cleaning and caring for Dot. She won't soon forget you loving-kindness.farmladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10516462251842458511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-53775263124603662012008-12-12T15:27:00.000-08:002008-12-12T15:27:00.000-08:00Dot sure had a sore head, didn't she? Bless her li...Dot sure had a sore head, didn't she? Bless her little heart.<BR/>You took real good care of her though.<BR/>I know how our chickens were mean to our Polish chicks. They were happy when we separated them from the mean ones, which the meanest just happened to be the littlest ones. Those little silver sebrights.<BR/>I hope Dot if feeling better now.<BR/>Have a great weekend.<BR/>PamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-52340365556712096562008-12-12T13:54:00.000-08:002008-12-12T13:54:00.000-08:00Poor Dotty. Everyone always picking on her. Poor...Poor Dotty. Everyone always picking on her. Poor girl. Just cuz shes a little different.....<BR/><BR/>And of course you brought her in and bathed her and dried her and let her sleep in your lap....doesnt everyone do that? Seriously.<BR/><BR/>Roxy. Always the curious one offering up her opinion.....frugalmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03013856124264535872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-47147275439372619032008-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:002008-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00Hi dina - oh, I remember your awful experience - (...Hi dina - oh, I remember your awful experience - (shiver). Yogurt, good idea! Usually the big treat around here is cottage cheese. :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi claire! Are your topknot black polish the same breed as Dot? What do you do to try to prevent the picking on the buff laced one?<BR/><BR/>Hey sugar(creekstuff) :-) - Roxy likes being involved in everything that goes on around here and isn't shy about giving her input and opinion on things.<BR/><BR/>Hi joanna - You're right - that's absolutely one of the things about the ornamental Polish breed that makes them extremely vulnerable: their fancy headdress impairs their vision significantly. Any time I need to catch her, I just come at her from the top - she doesn't have a clue until I grab her. Peripherally she is affected, too. At least she was, until her friendly coopmates "plucked her eyebrows", so to speak. She can see peripherally just fine now. :-) Maybe that will help her to get away from them faster.<BR/><BR/>Mim - your comment made me laugh! I can totally picture her, with all her erratic running back and forth, also doing the "duck and weave" thing! :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi Farmer Jen - I do have BluKote and have used it extensively. You know what? I've never seen that it made any difference at all. Except maybe that it killed all the germs, which is its primary use. What I have noticed is that it stains my fingers (generally also my clothes and maybe the tip of my nose, too, for some reason) and makes the birds look like they've got warpaint on. I used it a lot on Pip and it made no difference on the pecking, sadly. (Though you're right, one couldn't see the color 'red' anymore).<BR/><BR/>Hair follicles...it took me the longest time to understand why you were laughing at me. I even read it outloud to Jim, saying "why is jen laughing at this??" I said it over and over and over and.....oh. Ha ha....guess I better change that to "feather", huh? I have completely personified my chickens, haven't I? :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi tracey - Chickens can be really mean to each other. Kind of like a bunch of bullies in a schoolyard. Not pretty! I just want to send them all to their rooms!<BR/><BR/>Hi californiagrammy :-) - Ugh - you mean I have to worry about the tail feathers, too? Of course I do - this totally is where Pip got a horrible wound, I had almost forgotten. Like your daughter's hen, Dotty has recently taken to sleeping in one of the nest boxes and I'm letting her. That seems an appropriate solution given the situation, right? Though when she's "out and about", they still chase her around, but she's faster than everyone else. I believe the worst pecking comes when she's sitting on the same roosting bar as they are and, for some reason, she lets them peck and pick at her head. I can't figure out any other way they'd be able to get to her like that.<BR/><BR/>Hi nancy - yeah, I've yet to hear stories from anyone about "how smart my Polish chicken is". Guess that's what happens when one breeds for appearance traits only, huh? Dotty is awfully sweet, though. I feel very protective of her, despite her seemingly low IQ. :-)<BR/><BR/>Hey eve, I wouldn't mind having a few guinea around here! Though I think my husband would probably leave me if I told him he needed to build another coop! lol<BR/><BR/>Hi Wrensong Farm - Dang - chickens are CRUEL. What is the reasoning behind this? Is this an internal instinct thing of trying to "weed out" the weaker members of their flock? So there is less competition for food? I don't get it...<BR/><BR/>Hi Mo! Thanks - she seems to be holding her own right now and, as I mentioned above to Farmer Jen, has taken to sleeping in one of the nest boxes, which offers her a lot of protection from the "night peckers". :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi Christy - yeah, I'd stick to the Buffs for a while, if I were you! I certainly won't be mixing ornamentals with standard breeds anymore. Learned my lesson. Unless you keep 2 flocks completely separate, I just don't see how it can work.<BR/><BR/>Hey farm mom - You know me - I'll keep trying to make it work until it just won't work anymore. :-)<BR/><BR/>Hi warren - funny, that. Just yesterday I was looking online for "Poultry Psychiatry" and you know what? Nothing there. Hmpf.<BR/><BR/>Hi goatgirl - Thanks, chicken sister. But you were the smarter one. You didn't do ornamentals.Dannihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623233206043947281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-64521239167061401742008-12-12T09:18:00.000-08:002008-12-12T09:18:00.000-08:00Poor Dot!!! Mean old hens, they're probably just j...Poor Dot!!! Mean old hens, they're probably just jealous because they don't have such a beautiful "do" like Dot does!! She might possibly be related to Tina Turner...C-ingspotshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17744931697050670013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-88536413701746054192008-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:002008-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00You are a good chicken mama chicken sister.You are a good chicken mama chicken sister.goatgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05753367360714853700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-88923346574433006502008-12-12T08:24:00.000-08:002008-12-12T08:24:00.000-08:00Yikes! Time for plan b I guess. What a bummer th...Yikes! Time for plan b I guess. What a bummer though. Get her counseling though...she will have issues.<BR/><BR/>This is dumb, but we have a cat which was tormented by other cats as a younger cat and she isn't the same anymore. Therapy is silly of course, but she may never be able to be around the others again...<BR/><BR/>Anyhow, good on your for rescuing her!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-47193517465395245702008-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:002008-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:00Oh, poor dot. I sure hope you're able to keep on t...Oh, poor dot. I sure hope you're able to keep on top of the problem. It's a really tough situation to be in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-153442291813133692008-12-12T07:01:00.000-08:002008-12-12T07:01:00.000-08:00Oh no! Poor girl. I hope she is ok.Oh no! Poor girl. I hope she is ok.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920326845870515381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-89447156059693070782008-12-12T06:12:00.000-08:002008-12-12T06:12:00.000-08:00I am sorry for poor Dot! I hope they leave her alo...I am sorry for poor Dot! I hope they leave her alone now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-29777202003613188842008-12-12T06:01:00.000-08:002008-12-12T06:01:00.000-08:00Poor Dot!! I have had some issues with a chicken g...Poor Dot!! I have had some issues with a chicken getting picked on. <BR/><BR/>The last one was a young homegrown Barred Rock mix pullet. For some reason they turned on her and she looked real similar to Dot. Unfortuately they must have caused some brain damage because she couldn't use her legs properly and after 2 weeks of nursing she was the same way. I regretfully had to send her to the big chicken coop in the sky.<BR/><BR/>Hopefully they will leave Dot alone but I would definitely keep an eye on her/them.....she may have to be re-homed too. :(Gone2theDawgshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138393137324890048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-14193354253599210112008-12-12T04:53:00.000-08:002008-12-12T04:53:00.000-08:00Poor Dot!! You need to get guinea fowl...they are ...Poor Dot!! You need to get guinea fowl...they are much nicer than those mean old chickens!! Ha Ha!!I hope she does well. What a good girl Roxy!!Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06554593974838511759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-88181641138839284882008-12-11T19:49:00.000-08:002008-12-11T19:49:00.000-08:00Poor thing! My polish act kinda funny too! They ...Poor thing! My polish act kinda funny too! They seem confused a lot and nervous, or something. I'm glad you found her before something worse happened.Nancy M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00890420576437109817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-83594480613481734892008-12-11T19:37:00.000-08:002008-12-11T19:37:00.000-08:00Poor poor little Dot! My daughter's white chicken ...Poor poor little Dot! My daughter's white chicken with the pom-pom head dressing had the same problem, mostly on her tail feathers, a couple months ago. They call her "Itty-Bitty" and now, after she was treated with that powder-like stuff that turns blue, and sitting in one of the nesting boxes most of the day with her tail end toward the back of the box, is doing just fine and seems to have established her place in the flock. The others don't seem to pick on her any more and she runs around the yard with the best of them. I hope this can happen to Dot soon. Poor thing!CaliforniaGrammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05137556336315915924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-34976325327237222572008-12-11T19:23:00.000-08:002008-12-11T19:23:00.000-08:00Poor Dot! Boy ckickens can sure be mean to each ot...Poor Dot! Boy ckickens can sure be mean to each other!Traceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08286379574838190476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-51272741551908405592008-12-11T19:14:00.000-08:002008-12-11T19:14:00.000-08:00Poor dot! You cleaned her up well and took good ca...Poor dot! You cleaned her up well and took good care of her. Do you have any of that BluKote stuff to dob onto her wounds so the other hens won't see the red color of the blood? I've never had to use it on my hens, but I hear works well. <BR/><BR/>"hair" follicles, Danni?Farmer Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333209660043535465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845299642721912499.post-85645591074812812992008-12-11T18:12:00.000-08:002008-12-11T18:12:00.000-08:00Oh my goodness. Poor Dot. I sure hope she heals u...Oh my goodness. Poor Dot. I sure hope she heals up and they leave her alone. Duck and weave Dot, duck and weave.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18164566973850574737noreply@blogger.com