Windy Hill Farm - Polish Chickens

09/27/2025

This is good information: Don't forget the Vit B.

09/26/2025

Here's my new frizzle Silverlace boy. He will start a new pen to get more frizzles next year. Chances are much better with him in EVERY egg! He may not be the most stylish looking dude 😂 but he'll make gorgeous frizzle baby girls!! 💖

09/25/2025

I've gone thru this once before. Good info here:

🚨 Chicken Health Tip: Egg Bound Hens 🚨

An egg bound hen is a hen that has an egg stuck in her reproductive tract. This is a serious condition and can be life threatening if not addressed quickly.

Signs of an egg bound hen:
• Straining or sitting fluffed up, looking uncomfortable
• Decreased appetite or not drinking water
• Tail pumping or frequent attempts to lay
• Standing or walking abnormally (penguin stance)

What to do if you suspect egg binding:
1️⃣ Bring the hen to a warm, dark, quiet place.
2️⃣ Offer calcium (like crushed Tums or liquid calcium) to help her muscles contract.
3️⃣ Provide electrolytes and fluids.
4️⃣ A warm epson salt bath or sitting her in a steamy bathroom can help relax muscles.
5️⃣ Apply a small amount of lubricant (like coconut oil) around the vent.

Prevention tips:
✅ Provide a balanced layer feed with plenty of calcium.
✅ Always offer fresh water.
✅ Keep hens at a healthy weight (obesity increases risk).
✅ Make sure they have exercise and space to move.
✅ Minimize stress in the flock.

Healthy hens = healthy laying! 🥚🐓

09/25/2025

So here I am back on candycorn breeding again. If you look at my page, you can see that's really "my thing" though, My PASSION! 😛 I hear people say this all the time, so I want to talk a little about this statement. "Candycorn is a project color" I honestly believed that statement when I started, but soon found out that the reason people said that is because they thought it didn't breed true. It has ALWAYS bred true if bred correctly! The reason they said that is because golds are a product of the breeding, but golds are half of the genetic makeup, so OF COURSE they will come from candycorn breeding & ALWAYS will. They are TRUE GOLDS, not half or anything else.. PURE Golds! Another reason so many people think they don't breed true is because many people were under the impression that tolbunts were a part of the genetics because they were getting recessive mottling popping up. Tolbunts should NEVER be in the genetics of Candycorn! So, I have to say...what I believe the "project" of this color really is... Getting people to understand how to breed this color! Breed it to itself or to golds to get the prettiest color of polish that will ever be created! It has been a color created a long time ago & is perfect the way it is if people don't ruin it. A thousand or more of my eggs went out this year to a lot of people. When you see this color mature, tell me it's not the prettiest color of polish yet. 💖 And it's been around for years... NOT a project color if bred right. A defined color, just not an "accepted" color by APA yet. That takes a lot of hoops to jump thru for them to make sure everyone is "on point" with breeding it correctly. So, let's do this right! 👍 (I have attached a breeding chart made by a friend: Chelsie Shull) You may share but please don't crop her name off. TY!

09/25/2025

Another great report of shipped eggs to CT 💗

09/23/2025

About this time of year, I think back on the goals I set for this year's breeding program. I had several, I always have more than I can accomplish in one year.😄 My number one goal was to breed more Silverlace with my new boy that I flew in from up north, from a top show line. I tried to get all I could, but the girls gave up mid summer on eggs. They're getting older, so I'm not surprised. I did manage to get about 50 or so chicks. I'm keeping a frizzle boy to make a new pen. This will greatly improve the chance of frizzle Silverlace next year. #2- My goal was to produce more friz candycorn. I hatched about 30 out of the friz pen, but didn't get a single frizzle. I hope some of you that got eggs ended up with some frizzles! #3- My last goal was to produce GL boys. I've been wanting another friz Goldlace since we lost our beautiful boy, Red, several years ago. I didn't get that pen set up for lack of space for my other goals. It's hard to accomplish everything you want to do in a season. I've never understood how breeders can breed so many different breeds & improve them every year. Maybe they don't worry about improving the lines. That's kinda my goal.. and the challenge that keeps me going! I did offer my candycorn line all over the country this year. Hopefully, those ppl will work to breed pure candycorn toward the goal of recognition of the color in the APA in the years to come. It will take a lot of us doing it right & spreading the right genetics to make that happen in the future. All in all, it's been a busy year. I usually have new pullets to show in the fall, but I didn't grow any of my first chicks out for that, so the older gals will just have to strut their stuff again.😛

09/23/2025

Another check in on shipped eggs to TX! 🐣

09/21/2025

The chicks have been treated with Endocox (Toltrazuril) 3 times. I did a preventative dose first, right after putting them in the outside growout pen. A couple weeks went by, they showed signs of cocci, so I treated for it. A week or 2 went by, they got it again, a few were showing signs (lethargy), so I treated again. After all this, it looks like they are thru the danger phase of them getting it. It looks like they have developed immunity. This is why I don't let chicks go early on. If I do let them go, I will impress upon you strongly to stay aware & have endocox handy in case you see it. It can take them down so quick! I like for them to leave after they develop the immunity. So, these chicks are in the clear now! It's the most deadly thing that will cause them to die early, so if you have young polish chicks, keep a close eye on them & treat asap! Don't wait till you see blood in the stool. That's a later sign & it may not ever show. You're usually too late when you see it. Toltrazuril, not Corid.

09/21/2025

This group of Silverlace are so hard to tell s*x. They are the most quality polish that I have, their line going back 22 years as a top show line. The better they are, the harder it is to tell gender. They all look like pullets to me right now, but this can't be true.. Right?? Could we be that lucky? This is going to take more time. At least a few more weeks. Sorry, guys. (Older girls below)

09/21/2025

It's always a competition with Marans for Champion Continental, but I have won it with my Silverlace Polish before!! 🏆

09/15/2025

For more info or to add your name for 2026, all info & lists are here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CeSAEeaUw/