Polish Crosses ~ Ethical or Even Possible?

[FowlPlay2]

I’m getting Americana, Austalorp, Wyandotte, PBB Egger, Orpington, Sapphire Gem, and Polish chicks this spring, however due to how the hatchery has things set up, I’m only able to get Polish roosters. I would like to get chicks from the hens next year, but I’m not sure how well Polish will cross with any of the other breeds, and I don’t want the chicks to end up with heath issues or deformities because it might be unethical breeding. Does anyone have any advice on whether or not it’ll work?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't forsee a health concern. However, offspring will have a topknot of feathers that will make them vulnerable to aerial predators.
It usually isn't difficult to find roosters almost anywhere in the world, so you aren't stuck with them.

 

[FowlPlay2]

I don't forsee a health concern. However, offspring will have a topknot of feathers that will make them vulnerable to aerial predators.
It usually isn't difficult to find roosters almost anywhere in the world, so you aren't stuck with them.

Awesome, thank you so much! Also, if I have a flock of 18 hens, are two roosters too many roosters?

 

[FrostRanger]

Awesome, thank you so much! Also, if I have a flock of 18 hens, are two roosters too many roosters?

Depends, but probably. It could work especially since they're bantams but then again they could fight or over breed the hens. At this point I would just start with one and see how it goes

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Awesome, thank you so much! Also, if I have a flock of 18 hens, are two roosters too many roosters?

That is a good ratio provided you have plenty of space and the personality of the boys. Don't be surprised if they act aggressively randy for the first 6 to 10 months of breeding.

 

[FowlPlay2]

That is a good ratio provided you have plenty of space and the personality of the boys. Don't be surprised if they act aggressively randy for the first 6 to 10 months of breeding.

They will be free range when we’re home and will have a big run when we’re not, would that improve the behavior? We’ve had a flock before but only had one rooster. I just want to do it right this time

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Cockerels tend to mate more aggressively than mature roosters.
Occasionally they may try to fight or steal a ride on the other rooster's hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

Same age cockerels tend to be a problem. But while I understand you want to do things right, there really is no predicting how multiple roosters will act. It tends to work until it doesn't, and it can be a wreck fairly fast. The best rooster ratio, is the least amount possible. Often times people have the misconception that if they are raised together, they will be life long friends, and that is NOT the case in chickens. Being raised together has almost no influence on chicken behavior.

If you are getting all those different types of chickens, I would not get the polish roosters at all. There are people (generally people with a large amount of room and a great deal of experience) that can run standard and bantam size birds together, but I have also seen respected posters who say, they went to two separate flocks, because it never seemed to work well.

If you are new to the chicken game keep it as simple as possible. The best would to just get hens. A lot of people just order hens and wind up with a whoops rooster. I would plan to keep just a hen flock for a year, and add a nice year old rooster next year. Good roosters are easy to find and cheap.

If you decide to raise up the cockerels with your pullets, it is best to have a way to pull out the males until the pullets are laying. Cockerels mature earlier than pullets and can be very hard on them. The more males you have the bigger the problem.

Also - free ranging out in the yard, does not make up for too small of space. 18-20 birds are going to need a building size coop ~ 80 square feet, so an 8x10. and a run at least 200 square feet. Overcrowding birds leads to ugly behaviors.

Another question, which is hard, can you cull a cockerel that becomes aggressive with the pullets, or with each other or with humans? All three of these outcomes are real possibilities.

Mrs K

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Very well said @Mrs. K

I have successfully kept all male flocks. The key elements there were that they were all the same age, growing up together AND all the pullets and hens were kept out of sight.
That is still impossible with some breeds. A big issue with polish is that the crest feathers are tempting targets.
Depending on the size of one's operation and if one has enough space, keeping a male flock serves a couple purposes.
I like to raise and feed the sexes separately before they start mating. Maturing pullets and cockerels kept together starts to look more like gang rape. I choose not to deal with that.
Pullets need a little different nutrition than the boys.
If dealing with a lot of predation and a rooster gives himself up to save the hen, you can insert the next best candidate.
You can also raise them up to appropriate size for butchering.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

I’m getting Americana, Austalorp, Wyandotte, PBB Egger, Orpington, Sapphire Gem, and Polish chicks this spring,

Are these standard sized or bantams. I'm mainly asking about the Polish boys but some of these could come in either full sized or bantam. Some people will assume that a Polish is automatically a bantam and the others are full sized but that is not always the case.

I would like to get chicks from the hens next year,

Why? What are your goals for those chicks? What traits do you want those chicks to have? They are going to inherit traits from both parents.

but I’m not sure how well Polish will cross with any of the other breeds, and I don’t want the chicks to end up with heath issues or deformities because it might be unethical breeding. Does anyone have any advice on whether or not it’ll work?

A Polish rooster can fertilize the eggs and chicks will hatch. Healthy chicks. Deformities? Do you consider the Polish heads deformed? The chicks would inherit some of that.

People will tell you of things that could possibly, sometimes, occasionally, might happen. They are correct, they might happen. But then they might not. Would a Polish cross suit my goals? Not at all. I don't know what your goals are.