Solitary chicken - need advice

[SherlockHolmes]

I have 2 Polish hens and a Pekin bantam. Just recently one of my Polish hens started to get broody, sitting on her egg for hours, going stiff when you tried to move her and defending her eggs quite aggressively.

 

We took a punt and ordered some fertile eggs for her to sit on. These arrived today and I'm going to put them underneath her tonight once they've settled. However as we are still quite new to keeping hens I do have a couple of questions for the more experience chicken keepers out there:

 

She sometimes comes off the eggs - which are for now just her own and not the fertile ones - for an hour to roam about the garden and have to encourage her to go back in. Just how long can she leave the eggs for until it becomes an issue? Once I encourage her to go back though she does so and stays there until the next time she fancies a wander.

 

I have read on another website that even if a Polish hen were to successful hatch chicks, she would just murder them. Is this right? It doesn't seem to follow with such a placid breed of hen. She's a gentle thing and has been very good with our Pekin who has only been with us for a few weeks and is much younger and smaller than our 2 Polish. She's also left the blue tit fledglings alone. Would she really kill the hatched chicks?

 

Has anyone successfully hatched and reared chicks using a Polish hen? The eggs we have are of the same breed if that makes a difference?

 

Would be grateful for any advice

[Daphne]

Polands aren't known for their broodiness or sitting abilities. In fact I've only ever had one go broody and I broke her because I didn't want to risk her being a rubbish Mum. This is probably why you've heard they might kill the chicks. This is possible, but not likely or definite, although I have had a few poland hens who have not been afraid to stand up for themselves with other polands, as well as a number of rather bumbling ones, so I can see there might be an issue depending on the individual. Most of mine would have fallen into the incompetent camp

 

An hour off the eggs is a bit long indicating she might not be that serious, or it could be that the brooding instinct is just not as strong in the poland and for them this is 'normal' although my only broody stuck to her eggs like glue until I shut her out of the nestbox. Either way, I don't like my broodies away for more than about 30 mins at a time. As you've got the hatching eggs I'd put them under her but monitor the situation and accept they may not develop. Candle after about 10 days - if there is no development then it is kinder to break her broodiness, birds can lose condition if just left, and there isn't much on a poland to start with! If they do hatch then you will need to monitor very closely and have a plan B (ie a hatcher) in case she does turn out to be an aggressive or otherwise useless Mum.

[SherlockHolmes]

Thanks Daphne

 

I have read all sorts of things about Polish hens and so far not much of what I have read is my own experience of them so far.

 

I have read that they;

Can't see very well (because of their head of 'hair')

Aren't very hardy and will need to be kept out of the rain and/or cold

Won't accept other hens

Can be tamed easily and are easy to catch.

Are stupid

 

We have our two and our MIL had 3 (before they were eaten by a fox) and none of them ever had any problems seeing where they were going and all of them were/are quite free range. My MIL's had free range of her farm and ours have our entire back garden to themselves.

 

I've had ours out in the rain and MIL had hers in the snowy conditions up in Lancashire and none have suffered any ill effects whatsoever.

 

My MILs were put in with some Buff Orpingtons and possibly because they had the free range of the farm there was never any issues with them. My two have accepted the Pekin very well too and I could let her forage with them both the day after I got her.

 

My two took ages to be tamed and even now only one will eat out of my hand. They are most certainly not easy to catch and are very good flyers!

 

Neither bird is stupid in the slightest. I have a special call for them when I have food which they recognise and they are excellent at digging up worms but knowing to leave my veggies alone.

 

So I am guessing that what people are saying about them not being broody and making rubbish mothers might also be a bit of an unfair generalisation? I certainly hope so!

 

If I see her out of the roost for more than 30 mins I will encourage her to go back in and yes, we might botch up a DIY brooder just in case she does turn aggressive (was thinking of putting a camera in the nest box anyway for the kids to watch) but I sincerely hope she doesn't, we'd love to have some chicks about the place.

 

Of course it could all go horribly wrong and we are fully prepared for that. She will be a first time mum so anything could happen really. We won't pin our hopes on it but if anyone does have any good advice for how we can increase our chances I'd love to hear it. What I'm really after is someone who has bred them naturally using hens to come on and reassure me that it will all be fine!

[Patricia W]

I have one Polish hen who goes broody from time to time- but is easily distracted, and it never sticks. I think it's probably a breed for the incubator or a foster mum. Good luck!