I have been given two Polish Bantams but have no idea how to look after them……

[Daphy63]

Hi all

A few days ago my neighbour gave me two very pretty Polish Bantam pullets. He bought them from a breeder and I think they are about 12 to 14 weeks old as they have their adult plumage.

It did take me by surprise, but luckily I had a vacant coop for them, even if it is a little small. They both seem to just stand in the small run, not moving and hardly eating. At night I have to put them to bed, and in the morning I have to take them out of bed. Is this normal behavior? The other thing that worries me is they look like they are falling asleep standing up.

They have fully grown crests which I need to either trim or tie back, so I guess they have trouble seeing properly, but compared to my other Peking Bantams, they just seem quite odd; static even.

I don’t want to start upsetting them by over handling and bombarding them worming and parasite treatments, but I am wondering if they could have a problem. If anyone who keeps Polish hens can help or has any ideas, I would appreciate it.

I am keeping them separated from my other girls for a few more weeks, but I have been putting them on the grass for a few minutes each day for them to have a look around on their own. However, they don’t look around, they just stand there.

They are eating a little, drinking a little and pooping brown solid poop, but only a little.

I live in Northern France, the weather is and has been very wet, but not too cold. We do have high winds at the moment and very occasional sun.

Help!!!!

 

[JedJackson]

The symptoms you describe, especially the part where they look like they're falling asleep while standing, sound suspicious to me. I would keep them far from the rest of your chicken in case they have some sort of disease. It could be that they're just reacting badly to the change of environment and need time to adjust, but it could be something worse.

Trimming the crests so they can see better could help. Other than that, it's wait and see. Polish bantams are not the hardiest of chickens to begin with, but they often outgrow it. Make sure they are getting the proper feed and always have access to water, and keep us updated if there are any developments.

It would be a good idea to repost this in the medical forum, here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

 

[Daphy63]

The symptoms you describe, especially the part where they look like they're falling asleep while standing, sound suspicious to me. I would keep them far from the rest of your chicken in case they have some sort of disease. It could be that they're just reacting badly to the change of environment and need time to adjust, but it could be something worse.

Trimming the crests so they can see better could help. Other than that, it's wait and see. Polish bantams are not the hardiest of chickens to begin with, but they often outgrow it. Make sure they are getting the proper feed and always have access to water, and keep us updated if there are any developments.

It would be a good idea to repost this in the medical forum, here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

Thanks @JedJackson, and thank you for suggesting the repost onto the medical forum.

I’ll update in a few days.

 

[Daphy63]

Update: Both Polish hens are doing fine now. I kept them separate from my Peking’s for 4 weeks, and they are now starting to mix. The Polish hens still don’t like moving around much, well not until the evening anyway, and then they run around the garden, and hide in the hedge.

It’s unfortunate that three of the Peking’s are broody and bad tempered at the moment, which I think is making the Polish hens nervous. They all slept in the same coop last night for the first time, but the buff laced Polish became very aggressive with the Peking’s for some reason, and I had to help out this morning when they were eating their first meal of the day. She was not happy with the Peking’s being near the food. I have set up extra food and water stations to stop any trouble, but she still managed to corner all movement to the food stations.

I am sure it will all work itself out. Chickens just have their own levelling process, which can appear a bit harsh to us humans.