Lookey what I got...

[~Lisa~]

Ok so I know NOTHING about them other then I have a horrible phobia but I was at a friends yesterday and she was going to kill them as they have to many roosters. I said ok well they are to cute so I will try and take them and see what happens.

I put out food and water but have no idea if they will even remember where it was. They seem to spend a lot of time in one of the stallion pens (now empty) so I made a trail of food back to the hay barn guess I will see what happens.

My horses were pretty sure birdzilla's arrived and totally freaked out they still run everytime they see one

So I am now the owner of 3 of these kind and 2 Bantam Roosters they are not very friendly I guess chickens are not? I can not tell them apart but we named them Gonzo- Fozzie and Kermit Raven will name the bantams when she comes home tonight.

The feral barn cats are in total amazement as well and have followed them around but when the chickens turn and face them the cats run hoping since there is cat food out they will leave them alone guess time will tell anyway here is Gonzo

 

[Jill]

Oh my gosh!!! I don't know anything about chickens, but I love the looks of that kind there!!!! It would be neat to have some like that one and some of the "fluffy" (silky?) ones!!! I keep looking at the TSC thing advertising "Chick Days" and thinking...............................

 

[Keri]

That's a black polish with a white top. I had one just like that who won the Utah State Fair one year. Then he decided to play in the backyard with 2 hunting dogs and needless to say, he was dead in a matter of seconds. Are they bantams or full size ones?? Most chickens will stick around if you just throw them feed. They get pretty comfy with their areas.

Just be sure they aren't mean. I've had chickens attatck me as soon as I turn my back. Hubby took care of them quickly enough.

 

[~Lisa~]

The Bantams and again I know nothing about chickens other then I fear them are small I do not know what is normal size? One of them is smaller then the other and they are both WAY smaller then the birdzilla gang I will try and get pics of them later as well

 

[Keri]

The pic of the one you got there is probably a full size one. You bantams should only get 1/3 of his size tops (if they are chicks). I have some game birds that are super tiney. They are just cute. They are actually red pyle moderns. Super long legs and a tiny body.

 

[~Dan]

Hes pretty, theres an exelent book out there called Storys Guide to Rasing Chickens it has a buch of info such as feeding, care, showing, breeding, housing, and yes butchering. you can get it at like TSC or Borders. Best of luck Lisa

 

[candycar]

He's cute! If you leave them out unprotected they will not last long anyway. Something will get them. I have "lost" a couple of unwanted roosters this way. If your friend has too many roosters especially of an unusual breed, she can try advertizing them for free on the Backyardchickens.com forum. I found a home for one of mine in 1 day! Good luck !

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Oh wow I wish I had one like that..........I have big fat chickens..........lol........I havr Rhode Island Reds, Red Sex Links, Classic Wyndotte, Giant Cochin, Buff Brahma, White Brahmas............I love my fat girls.........hehehehehe

 

[Sonya]

He is beautiful! No, not all chickens are mean, it really depends on how much time you have spent with them, roosters are usually more aggressive though. They are actually very smart. Birdzilla is a "Polish", maybe a "Silver laced Polish". And yes, something will get them, especially at night if they are not locked up...opposums love to eat chickens. They are very nice to have around the farm...if you let them freerange during the day they will eat up alot of bugs around the farm. They poop allllloooottt and can be stinky if you don't keep their coop clean, but all in all they are fun to have around and very amusing to watch. I miss mine sometimes. .

Here is a great site for chickens

Backyard Chickens

 

[Keri]

Oh and be sure to dust them! Chickens are lice magnets (which then transfer to your horses). Keep all your carts covered. They tend to roost up on stuff and poop all over everything below it (including unsuspecting by passers!

).

 

[ruffian]

Hubby bought a set of 25 'Mixed bantams" last fall. They were cute as chicks, but a PITA as adults. They roost in my barn and crap in my feeders and on my walkways. Most are bantys, but I do have a pair of nice wyandottes that are giving me an big brown egg a day.

One of the banty roosters likes to attack my legs when I put out hay. I have to kick sand over him for about 10 minutes before he will back off.

Many, if not most, will be going into the pot for roast chicken. I do want to put a few hens and one rooster in a coop for eggs, but no more free range.

 

[laughingllama75]

Lisa,

Welcome to the World of Chickens!

The guy you in your pic is a white crested black polish and a nice one at that.

If you want to keep the roosters long term, and your barn free of poo, just make a pen for them with chicken wire....they will be fine. Also, they will not transfer lice/mites to the horses, chicken lice is species specific. You can powder them with stuff you get at the grain store, if you think they need it. I have kept chickens (and horses) in my barn, penned and free ranging for 30 years, and I have never had chickens harm the other animals. poo in thier water or drink from it, yes. I even had a chicken drown in a water bucket and one of my minis killed a chicken, but never any disease.

Also, come check out http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/index.php it is a wonderful chicken info site, and everyone is very helpful. I would love to see you there.

 

[Bunnylady]

Yep, White Crested Black Polish. I've had them for years, but I don't like them very much! They are beautiful birds, with a greenish irridescence on their glossy black feathers. I've had roosters with tails so big, they get blown over on windy days! My biggest problem with them is that mine have tended to be high-strung. Most of my other kinds of chickens get used to me and get pretty casual, the Polish are always wary and flighty. The crest feathers act like blinders, so the birds have a seriously limited range of vision. They are easy to sneak up on because of this! Other chickens cannot resist pecking at the crest feathers, mine get bald in short order if I don't keep them by themselves. Maybe my line are just too inbred, but the Polish chicks seem a bit more fragile than the chicks of other breeds we've had. They are outrageously cute though, little black chicks that look like someone glued half of a yellow pompom on top of their heads!

 

[tnovak]

Neat!!!! Years ago my FIL and I bought 25 'mixed chicks' and had several Polish chickens....some were black and white, but my favorite Polish was a beige hen that we called Carol Channing.

 

[Sterling]

He's beautiful!!! I've bread the fancy "top hats" before and yes as Bunnylady mentioned they tend to be a flighty variety of chicken. If you have more than one rooster be aware that once they reach breeding age you are going to have battles on your hands. It can get ugly and some will fight to the finish. I agree with keeping chickens in coops for their protection as well as keeping your property clean. If you don't like poop on your hay and stepping in it do up a nice little enclosure where you can house them and they will be happy and away from predators and out of your way.

My experience with Polish roos are that they tend to be aggressive. The standard size moreso than the bantys. I had a standard Polish that attacked my little Call duck for no reason other than he wanted to pick a fight. They were loose on the property as I leave them roam during the day when we're home, but he took a hankering for the little duck and decided to "ring his bell". Hubby had to separate them if not he would have out and out pummeled him. We found Mr. Polish roo a new home after that.

Congratulations on owning chickens!! I know that's a big step for you!!!