These Crazy Animals! Part 2; My new Chickens

     As I have said before: Chickens are addicting.  This week after my latest fix, my husband uttered the 5 dreaded words no addict wants to hear; "You have too many chickens."

     More than a year ago, I had been Googling Polish chickens when I found out that there is such a thing as a frizzled Polish.  Last week the opportunity came for me to to actually own my own!  Dan and I drove 1 1/2 hours away to the home of a nice breeder who was selling off her Polish - two show quality tolbunt Polish chickens and two roosters - one of the roosters being frizzled!  

Captain Jack, my holy grail of chickens.
Admit it - you want one, too.

     The frizzled has feet issues - when he was young, his feel went through the wire cage bottom when traveling to a show and broke his toes.  She was unsure how well he would get around and unsure if he could mate. However, it turns out he gets around fine.  Although with his hilarious crest blocking his vision and his slight limp, to the amusement of all, he walks like a drunken sailor!  Hence his name: Captain Jack

     I tried pulling his top feathers up out of his eyes, and it worked fairly well, but he hates it.  The tie only lasts an hour or so before he manages to scratch it off, taking off a couple feathers each time, too.

Jack with his crest pulled up in a ponytail.

     The boys had a brief spat to decide the dominant rooster, and although Jack lost (it was close!) I have seen him make more than a few attempts at dancing with the hens.  Here is his rival, Will Turner, who currently catches the ladies' attention:

Will Turner and the ladies.

     As far as I can tell, none of the newbies had ever seen grass or been on a roost before.  Every night I have to round them up and set them on the roost.  Last night I covered them in wood ash from my neighbor's fire pit before setting them in because I believe they may have mites.  I also added DE (diatomaceous earth) to the communal dust bath areas, but those silly noobies don't even know what a dust bath is.

     Will, especially, had the hardest time learning how to roost, and would lose his balance, but clung on with the determination only a rooster can have.  When I checked on them the first morning, he was still on the roost.  Then when I checked around 10:30 am, there he was - still on the roost.  It turns out he didn't know how to get down.