The Cheat Sheet Polish Chicken Colors That You Will Want

Have you heard of the Polish Chicken?

What about those Polish chicken colours?

There is an abundance of them, and you will be scrambling to choose the colours you want the most.

Just don’t trip yourself up when doing so. Just don’t trip yourself up when doing so.

It’s not a race you know…

It’s not a race you know…

Polish Chickens And those Polish Chicken Colors

The Polish or Poland is a European breed of crested chickens known for that remarkable, and it is a remarkable crest of feathers on its head and those Polish chicken colours make them a variety in themselves.

Now, the oldest accounts of these birds come from the Netherlands actually…
However, their exact origins are unknown.

Mysterious birds…

In addition to their combs, they are adorned with such a large crest of feather on their head, that nearly cover the entirety of the head.

Can you imagine it?

Talk about a peacock with its adorned tail.

These polish chickens and their Polish chicken colours have really got a fashion statement going on here…

However, there is one commonly circulated theory, which is that the ancestors of this Polish chicken breed were brought by Asian Mongols to Eastern and Central Europe during medieval times.

As a result, the breed could very likely have originated in Poland.
So we are sticking to that unless proved different ok…

Oh’ wait on!

An alternative theory is that immigrants brought the breed’s ancestors from Italy or Spain in the late 16th century.

Sigh…

Either way, the breed was standardized and recognized in the Netherlands, where it was later declared a thoroughbred of the chicken variety.

And this Polish Chicken breed is one of the few whose reputation is firmly set in history.

Actually, there are paintings that were done that look to be Polish chickens which dated back from the 1500-1700s.

Looks like this breed is very old indeed…

Now we’re talking…

The polish chickens were prized by French aristocracy, and kept for their elegant appearance and brought to this country by the King of Poland when he was dethroned and had to flee to France.

Running with his polish chickens under his arms.

No!

Actually, he carried these chickens in his luggage with him!

There are a lot of arguments and near punch-ups.

Nearly…

Well, I could imagine it anyway…

Over where the Polish chicken came from.

There are some people who agree that this breed is truly Polish, while others think that the Polish chicken may have instead been in a Polish territory or maybe even another country, like the Netherlands.

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The Fight For The Polish Chickens

Why would the Polish chicken be named as such if it did not really originate in Poland?

Good question…

There was one theory is that the bird was named because it has a large head and the Dutch word “pol” which means just that.

In France, these chickens are known as one of the best egg-producing breeds.

This is an interesting tidbit that many American chicken producers aren’t aware of because Polish chickens aren’t typically regarded as exceptional egg producers here.

While they were originally imported to the United States as a layer of white eggs, it was eventually surpassed by the White Leghorn, which is now the most popular commercial egg-laying breed.

However, the American Poultry Association adopted three Polish varieties to the Standard of Perfection in 1874, with additional variations accepted in subsequent years.

This chicken can also go by the name of Poland, Tophat, or Paduan chicken, though the Polish moniker is the most commonly used.

The first thing you notice about these birds after their extreme beauty is the way in which they will try to eat everything in front of them.

Yes!

The garbage disposals of the chicken world.

They will try everything from pineapples to the outside skins of garlic, garlic of all things…

But they are just as happy eating cooked potato peelings or tops of vegetables, chorizo artichokes.

They are greater at eating not-so-damaged fruit and also getting rid of the pests in your garden, or anything that might unfortunately for them, straying into their chicken run.

Their real excellence is in clearing roots like switchgrass I don’t know if it’s their ancestry.

But they are really good in deep snow and cold weather they have a very good heavy winter coat and they seem to be able to go out even in storms.

Having this wonderful crest which makes a great winter hat.

And they don’t tend to go broody, which is good.

No grouchy hens sitting on nest boxes, filling them up, when another hen just wants to come in to lay an egg, it becomes a bit of an I want to get in this nest too, thing going on.

Polish Chicken History

There are many legends about the Polish breed of how they came to be in the different countries where they are now one of my favourites is about how they arrived in France.

The twice deposed king of Poland King Stanislas is supposed to have bought them in his luggage when he fled Poland to the court of King Louie the fifteenth who was his son-in-law.

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His son in-laws then official mistress Madame de Pompadour was absolutely fascinated by this race

And they became known in France as label pompadour, and she bred them and made them very popular in the UK

In fact, they are thought to be their oldest domesticated poultry.

The Polish have a very specific skull, there is a bony protuberance on the top of their head which supports this beautiful crest and this has been found and identified in Roman excavations in Italy.

There is a very famous local dish made out of these birds, and it’s become one of the emblems of the slow food movement

I hope I’ve convinced you if you’re thinking about raising chickens to have some of these birds and if you’re still thinking that they look just too outrageously frou-frou then think again.

What Colors Do Polish Chickens Come In?

Available Polish Colors

• White Crested Blue Polish
• White Crested Black Polish
• White Laced Red Polish
• White Polish
• Black Crested White Polish
• Silver Laced Polish
• Golden Laced Polish
• Buff Laced Polish

The Polish chicken, like som many breeds of chickens out there, can be found in both standards and also the smaller bantam size, both of which are recognised by the American Poultry Association.

Classified as a Continental breed, the colours and types of Polish chickens are recognized as such:

• Non-bearded buff laced
• Non-bearded white crested blue
• Non-bearded white-crested black
• Non-bearded golden
• Non-bearded white
• Non-bearded silver
• Bearded golden
• Bearded buff laced
• Bearded white
• Bearded silver

Are Polish Chickens Friendly?

If you like the unusual like myself these Polish chickens are largely kept for ornamental reasons – and you can see why, for Polish chicken colours, and because they’re a pretty chicken and to top off these good looks they also have a lovely disposition as well.

Beautiful and friendly, now your talking…

Yes… They enjoy human companionship.

Polish chickens are not bad egg layers, and you can expect 2-3 white eggs per week.

Are Polish Chickens Quiet?

In fact, Polish hens apparently make unique noises and yes, they do tend to be somewhat noisy at all times, and particularly if they are angry at something.

So, now that you have heard the lowdown of the Polish Chicken, and polish chicken colors…

There are so many of them, where do you start.

I know…

”I will take that one, and yes this one as well…”

Like you have just walked into a chocolate shop and are not sure what to choose.