Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[Chortle Chook]

On 22nd August I got a lovely creamy Poland with the odd balck splash. The lady I bought it from had acquired it for me specifically as I had admired a similar hen that she had. When I went to pick it up I did sort of notice some bits of red on the face and the feathering at the base of the topknot did not look quite like that of my other two Polands. I posted this picture on Omlet and I bet some of you, like me, sort of knew.

 

 

Somehow I just thought, Nah, I must have it wrong as I'm no expert. But, you've guessed it, Dazzle has started to crow. The breeder has offered to take him back, but I know what would happen as though I love them, the black splashes are not what is required. Also his crow really is lovely - a propper cockerel crow unlike poor Dill's strangled cat noise.

 

Dill is 6 (will be 7 in the Spring) so will he nicely bow out to Dazzle (to be re-named Dandy) or will there be fisticuffs? Also are Poland cockerels nice natured? Dill has been such a sweet fellow.

[miller30]

How old was she/he when you got her ? leanne

[Chortle Chook]

I was told POL and even that she had laid an egg

Actually I don't for a minute think that the person I got Dandy from intended to mislead me as they have super stock in a really well kept place and I'll certainly go back to get other chickens from there should a vacancy in my stock ocurr. I think it was a genuine error and the egg could well have come from someone younger as Dandy was running in a pen with a few slightly younger birds. I must say I thought he had laid an here too, but again I can't be completely certain.

 

Do chickens change sex?

 

Dandy is not 'treading' any of the real girls yet, but he sure is crowing - a real cock a doodle doo - very nice to hear and much deeper than Dill my Silkie cockerel's crow or the Pekin cockerel who lives a few doors down and has a real screach.

 

I'd like to keep him but will he fight? Someone has said that if he is OK with Dill now then I need not worry. Could that be the case as Dill is an old boy now

[Sue]

Yes - females can lose their "femaleness" and begin to crow and display male features.

 

This generally happens because chickens only have one functioning ovary, and if anything happens to that (often as the result of an illness or infection) then they don't produce enough of the female , and secondary male characteristics come to the fore. When this has happened they will never function fully as a male, so will not fertilize eggs, but neither will they lay eggs.

 

On the other hand I have heard of hens which will make a crowing sound, but still lay eggs, usually when there is no cockerel in the flock. I would suspect time will tell, it will be interesting .

[miller30]

Its my second year of hatching polish and i have 2 left that are 22 weeks old i dont think im going to bother next year as i have not had as much interest as other breeds i sell. I sold 2 stunning goldlaced pullets for £20 each one had perfect lacing none of my girls have any sign of red wattles at this age i sexed mine at 9 weeks i think the polish boys are quite loud well they are louder than my pekins if your neighbours wont be bothered just see how things go and if your ever coming down to rachel at hamble valley your more than welcome to come and have a look at mine if i have any left leanne

[Chortle Chook]

Thanks, leanne. I can't pretend I'm not tempted but I don't really want to part with let alone despatch Dandy. I really do have fingers crossed that all will be well. I'm more concerned about any fights with my dear Silkie boy, Dill, than with the noise of the crowing as, anyway, it would be the pitch and frequency rather than the volume that would concern me and both of these are rather good so far - touch wood

[miller30]

The trouble with having more than one boy is they egg each other on to see who can crow the most just see how it goes i have 3 pekin boys here at the moment one is teddy my just over 2 year old boy i have added romeo a lav frizzle who is about 17 weeks old hes not crowing and i have kept a smooth lav boy back incase of an emergency.Oh and i have 2 turkey stags that are gobbling their heads off im on a residential housing estate i suppose it depends what your neighbours are like as for the fighting you might be lucky and have no problems my friend who has a big breeding pen of polish with a few boys in it told me she has no trouble she can add a boy straight in the pen and there is no fighting leanne

[Redwing]

Its likely that the seller made a mistake about the egg, I've done that several times where I have penned a cockerel and found an egg in with it then eggs on subsequent days, turns out he was unearthing them from the bedding also I have assumed that the bird most red in the face is laying when its another one... so its very likely it was a simple error

 

I've only had a few Poland cockerels but they have all been feisty with other birds but calm with humans

 

Lovely chap though - I hope you are able to keep him

[Chortle Chook]

Many thanks miller30 and Redwing. I'll hold out for now and keep my fingers crossed