Ally McBeak, a Tolbunt frizzled Polish hen (above)
Seigfreid & Roy, Gold Laced Polish chicks (below)
White Crested Blue Polish hen & White Crested Black Polish hen
Slower Social Response & Injuries
As a number of feathers roofing their eyes to varying degrees, crested chickens often deport differently as well as attract unwanted attention. Having express vision impedes a crested bird's might to react speedily to everyday social interactions such every bit respecting the social construction inwards a flock. Every flock has a pecking gild that dictates which chickens have got priority access to food, water, roosts, nest boxes, dusting holes, etc. When a plane wishes to enforce the pecking order, she tin commonly exercise as well as then past times moving towards a lower-ranking flock member, which is mostly plenty of a clue to the underling to exit of the way. However, crested chickens that are unable to consider other birds approaching to claim priority condition may have their message via a abrupt peck on the head instead, which tin number inwards plumage impairment as well as injuries.
Gold laced Polish rooster.
Crested chickens are often defendant of existence less intelligent than other birds when the truth is: they only can't consider good past times their crest feathers. They tin seem jumpy as well as may look to over-react to sure enough interactions, but having obscured vision way are easily sneaked upwards on as well as surprised frequently. Imagine wearing a plumage blindfold throughout your twenty-four sixty minutes catamenia as well as how that would impair your might to discover the front end door, locate your lunch, negotiate past times co-workers inwards the hallway, as well as to exit of harm's way quickly. While this skittish deportment makes consummate sense, it tends to relegate crested birds to the bottom of the pecking gild as well as existence bullied away from feeders, drinkers, dusting locations, as well as off roosts.
Crevecoeur hen
Sitting DucksDelays inwards reply fourth dimension due to impaired vision tin besides move life-threatening to a crested chicken.While other birds may consider a predator approaching from a distance as well as scurry to safety, a crested plane may non consider the predator inwards fourth dimension to escape or may have got difficulty seeing their way to a security place speedily plenty to escape harm.
B&B for Insects
Everyone loves a fluffy plumage bed, including Inspect crests for insects regularly during regular physical exams.
Rain, snowfall as well as H2O ice pose unique problems for crested birds. Rain causes feathers to hang as well as separate, revealing the pinkish pare underneath. Since chickens have got such neat vision as well as inspect novelties alongside their beaks, they are drawn to investigate pivot feathers, the pare as well as plumage shafts, which oftentimes causes a feather-picking occupation that tin create a fell wheel of baldness, caput injuries, as well as plumage regeneration, followed past times to a greater extent than plumage picking. Feathers that larn moisture inwards drinkers inwards freezing temperatures tin cast icicles, which are uncomfortable, tin crusade frostbite as well as depict unwanted attending from pecking beaks. Molting besides exposes the pare on the head, drawing unwanted attending to the area.
Rainy twenty-four sixty minutes catamenia Polish hen.
SOLUTIONS TO CREST PROBLEMS
If a crested chicken is non participating inwards a fair or poultry show, at that topographic point is no need for their vision to rest obscured past times feathers. Trim crest feathers to a greater extent than or less the eyes alongside sharp, blunt-tipped scissors. If you lot can't consider their eyes, your birds can't consider good enough, as well as then don't move shy most the amount trimmed.
Emerging pivot feathers (as shown below) depict unwanted attending to the scalp of crested breeds. Never trim emerging pivot feathers. The base of operations of the plumage shaft contains a blood supply, which volition bleed if nicked.
Putting crest feathers inwards a ponytail on move past times of the caput sometimes plant to embrace bald spots, enshroud pivot feathers as well as to enshroud the scalp as well as some chicken keepers necktie dorsum their crested birds' feathers alongside painter's tape, but I haven't institute either of these to move particularly helpful. The birds commonly wriggle out of them inwards curt order, creating some other possible problem: ingestion of the ponytail holder or tape.
COLORED GOO IS NOT H5N1 SOLUTION!
JUST SAY "NO" TO COLORED "ANTI-PICK" PRODUCTS!
I exercise non recommend products that tint the pare as well as feathers blueish or majestic for several reasons. Coloring the injure does not conceal it from flockmates, inwards fact, the reverse is true! Chickens have got superior color vision- amend color vision than humans, as well as a new colored goo or spray on some other chicken's torso draws unwanted attending to the area, inviting exploration as well as additional picking. Further, the chief constituent of most cover-up products is alcohol, which burns similar the surface of the Sun on an opened upwards wound. Finally, colored dyes impede the might to observe 1 of the get-go signs of infection, which is redness. Injured birds should move separated from flockmates as well as proper injure care administered until consummate healing has occurred.
Re-introduction dorsum into the flock without conflict volition move extremely hard if a plane is kept out of sight from flockmates for long periods of time. I recommend separating birds alongside crest injuries past times housing them inside a rabbit hutch or similar setup inside the flock during the twenty-four sixty minutes catamenia to cut these challenges. Once the injury has healed, re-integration is every bit elementary every bit opening the "door" betwixt the birds.
MORE CRESTED CHICKEN BREEDS
Appenzeller Spitzhauben pullet
Mottled Houdan rooster
Sultan.
Bearded Mottled Silkie
bantam White Crested Black Polish rooster
White Crested Black Polish hen
Cream Barbanter rooster
Doc Brown & Freida (White Crested Black Polish Hen & White Silkie Hen)
