Beautiful chicken || Fancy hen || White Polish || Poultry farming
Channel: Sindh Nature
Date: 2021-04-29

Are you ready to meet with a fun, friendly, quirky chicken with personality and good looks? Well, wait, no more here they are! The Polish chicken has a long history, with much of it lost in the mists of time.
It has become beloved by ‘chickenistas’ worldwide.
There really isn’t another bird that comes close to being as outrageously blessed. Blessed with head feathers that are unique in that respect.
Truly, the origins of this bird are unclear. There are several anecdotal stories of how it came into Europe.

My favorite is that in 1736, the King of Poland was unseated and fled to France. With him, in his ‘luggage,’ he brought his beloved Polish chickens.

They became the darlings of French society at the time, being loved by the French aristocracy, and from then on, their future was assured. As romantic as this might seem, it is doubtful to be true.

The truth is probably more mundane. The first real mention of them comes from the Netherlands, where they were possibly imported from Spain. It is thought that the name Polish was derived from the old Dutch word ‘pol’ for a large head.

There are paintings of the bird from the fifteenth century where it seems to be part of everyday life, so it has been around for a long time. It was declared a thoroughbred in the sixteenth century by the Dutch.

The Polish traveled from Europe to England (1700s), eventually finding their way to the USA in 1830-1840.
It was initially imported as a good white egg layer but was later surpassed by the white Leghorn for superior egg-laying.
Its reputation as a good layer was eclipsed by its unusual appearance and became an ‘ornamental’ breed and was bred for appearance rather than eggs.
Polish comes in standard and bantam size, and the American Poultry Association recognizes both in their standards book. The Polish are classified as a ‘Continental’ breed.

The types, colors, and year of recognition by the APA are as follows:

1874: Non-bearded white crested black; golden;  silver; white.
1883: Bearded golden;  silver;  white;  buff laced.
1938: Non-bearded buff laced.
1963: Non-bearded white crested blue.
In the later years of the twentieth century, another variety has emerged: The Tolbunt.

It’s a stunning mix of white, brown, and black – a real head-turner. The APA does not yet accept this color, but I think it’s only a matter of time.
Needless to say, there are many different color mixes and varieties around, but if you want a bird that conforms to the APA, you will have to stick with the colors noted above.
It’s hard to mistake a Polish chicken – the hen will have a ‘pom-pom’ hairdo which is fairly neat and tidy.

On the other hand, the roosters look like a ‘wild thing’ with the feathers giving a ‘bad hair’ day impression! Both sexes’ head feathers grow up and then cascade over her head and faces, sometimes causing visual problems.

The head crest is supported by a bony prominence that arises from the skull.

Polish chickens can also be bearded (depending on the variety), which sees a profusion of feathers around the head and face.

The rooster has the unusual, red V-shaped comb, which often gets lost in his head feathers. Earlobes are white, and wattles are red.

The coloring of the legs is gray, and they have four toes to each foot. The feet and legs should not have any feathering.

The male bird can attain a weight of around six pounds, while the hen is usually around four and a half pounds. They are white-skinned birds.
The egg production of polish chickens can be widely variable depending on the line of breeding.

If you want a reliable daily egg layer, it would be wise to choose another breed since the Polish are so variable.

In general, they lay a fair amount of white, medium/large eggs. The average is around 150 eggs per year. As we have already noted, they will rarely brood, although it is not unknown.

I could not find any information on the mother hen’s parenting ability, so I assume it’s a fairly rare occurrence!
The Polish really shines in the show or exhibition area, whether it be your local agricultural show or a top poultry show. If you think you might like a bird that is a pleasure to work with and sure to attract many comments, this could be your ideal bird.
The Polish really shines in the show or exhibition area, whether it be your local agricultural show or a top poultry show. If you think you might like a bird that is a pleasure to work with and sure to attract many comments, this could be your ideal bird.
Although buying a ‘show-line’ bird is expensive, there are many Polish out there that are inexpensive to buy and can be show quality birds – you have to shop around after doing your homework on the ‘standard of perfection for the Polish.

You need to know that much work goes into preparing birds for the top shows, but the local county shows are a bit more forgiving. These are the places to start to get a taste of all that is involved.
Courtesy: thehappychickencoop.com