# Do all Polish chickens....



## acso (Jul 5, 2015)

I am a complete chicken novice. We are reading madly and learning as we go. I have 7 wk old Polish Golden Lace hens who are nicely feathered out. Their "bonnets" don't allow them to see well at all. I knew they would have the beautiful feathering but it's so dense. For you Polish chicken owners, (don't laugh) can I cut their bangs so they can see better? Any suggestions would be very welcome.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

As a former Silkie breeder, no laughing coming from me.

Yes, you can trim them. You want to trim enough that looking straight on you can see their eyes. If you can see them then you know they can see. 

The most intimidating part is trying not to get them with the scissors especially if they are fighting you about the trim.

And welcome to the forum. We hope you stick around and regale us with your adventures in to poultry keeping.


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## acso (Jul 5, 2015)

Thank you for your comments. I am new to this chicken thing, and strangely i am fascinated, they have interesting personalities and habits. I have held them since they were a couple of weeks and gone through pasty butt, etc. I talk to them constantly and use the same voice and phrase when feeding "Mornin' Girls" in a low voice and drawn out words..... they come right away. They calm the minute I pick them up and hold/cuddle them, they even roost on my arm. I don't think it will be a problem cutting the "bangs" I handle them very slowly and gently and never let them feel as if they will fall. The only birds I have owned was Macaws and large cockatoos. Chickens are certainly different. 
Do you think their personalities will change once they can see?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just in case you haven't experienced it yet there are people that will look at you like there is something wrong with you when you talk about your chickens and their personalities. It's only been in recent years with those of us that have them and spending time have caused the awareness to blossom about chickens and their potential.

Some things will be different. Whenever I got behind and didn't trim my girls for a while it was always fascinating to put them back down and watch them look around at things they hadn't been able to see. But that could be only part of what you'll see. Polish are more flighty than a Silkie, they are liable to spook at something that was always there. They will see you coming when you try to pick them up and just might take off away from you. You should see more the individual personalities once they can see.

While my remaining birds are pretty old in chicken years and have been with me all of their lives, they do know their names. So if you can keep yours straight you can teach them their names. Even my roos will come when called. Although my ten year old, King, will go in the opposite direction when I all him because he thinks I'm going to do something to him. Or he'll do a distress sound if I'm outside of their pen.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Forget about names, once they can see you can train them to do an obstacle course! 






(That video isn't my chicken by the way, I just find it funny.) I never owned Polish but I must agree chickens in general are pretty funny and so much more fun than a parrot whose main purpose in life is to swear like a trucker when you have company, scream at the top of their lungs at every waking minute, and try to lop off your fingers whenever they can. I'm not a fan of those things, they're not domesticated enough. I had a Goffin's Cockatoo unscrew the hinges of his cage door, get out, and ambush me as I walked by! It wasn't even my bird but I still have scars from that! Worse that can happen with a chicken is you get a mean rooster but they can't do nearly as much damage and they make good eating if they try.

That being said chickens are lovely creatures. They grow their own habits and behaviors and some of them you do become very attached to. Had a Dark Cornish once that would wait in the coop until I was ready to feed them (a few minutes after opening it up) and then when I yelled, "Here chickie chickies!" She'd run screaming out the coop, sounding like an over excited turkey. Cracked me up.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, you just convinced me I really don't have any need for a larger cage bird. I like my fingers and it's bad enough when Freddie is barking at shadows, I don't need a bird barking too.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Barking, swearing.... the last parrots I had the joy of being around thought a cat in heat sounded wonderful and they mimicked that day in and day out.... the best thing about a cat in heat is you can fix them and stop that noise, not so with parrots. On a funny note I had someone tell me once that they knew of a parrot that liked to yell, "HELP ME!!" out the basement window everyday. Apparently there were a lot of 911 calls.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

A rooster can do LOADS of damage. I have scars from being spurred by a 4lb EE cock, and had a 6lb cockerel take my kid clean off her pony onto the ground and keep her on the ground until I came and dragged it off. I could only imagine if one of my 12lb boys decided to turn, I've been raked bloody just having one of them perch on my head.

Those are nice polish. Very true to type with gorgeous crests. Work on the colour and lacing and you'll have yourself some cute birds. I personally think it's ghastly to ruin a good crest, so I like using tiny rubber bands (the ones for braiding horse manes do well) and giving them a top knot if they need it. I'm a purist like that haha


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I tried those rubber bands but my girls always got them out. Keep the loose enough so they don't pull on the feather and reach up and pull it out with a nail. Put them in tight enough to cause discomfort and the birds really went bonkers trying to get them out.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

It's a labour of love to reapply them, that's all!


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