Why You Should Raise Polish Chickens

The Polish chicken’s popularity continues to grow by the day with more and more people taking a liking to this strange breed.

There are both trivial and significant reasons why Polish Chickens are one of my favorite breeds. If you are wondering what the hype is all about, or why people are loving this quirky bird, wonder no more. Here are four critical reasons why you should consider raising Polish Chickens:

1) The 1970’s hairdo

Famous for their gorgeous feathery crest and alluring feather work, polish chickens are quite a sight for sore eyes. In other words, they're absolutely beautiful and will grab the attention of anyone passing by. They add such a unique aesthetic to your backyard coop operation.

Its fluffy and vibrant exterior from head to toe is just full of unique colors and textures that make this breed a stand out. Culminating in a woolly headpiece of feathers, this unique aesthetic appeal gives the breed the appearance of wearing an elegant crown.

The color of the chicken's legs is typically a grayish-black, and they should have four toes on each foot. Further, their feet and legs are absent of feathers.

A male Polish Chicken can reach six pounds, while a female will only reach about 4.5 pounds in adulthood. And the skin underneath their feathers is whiteish pink, like most other breeds.

When healthy and happy, these are arguably the best looking chickens around.

This distinct and endearing look has earned the breed admiration from around the world. The look alone is one of the reasons that many have developed a preference for the peculiarly beautiful bird.

If you are on keen on impressing guests and wowing passersby, these birds can bolster your farm game. Polish Chickens provide an impressive presence that’ll undoubtedly impress and wow onlookers. It’s certainly the kind of poultry to keep around for agricultural exhibitions, and if you're trying to sell a farm or ranch.

Colors and Recorded History

According to the American Poultry Association, Polish chickens come in standard and bantam size. It is further recognized as a ‘Continental’ breed and can live a happy, productive life in many different environments.

Here are the standards recognized by the APA, with the year and color varieties they were recognized:

• In 1874 the non-bearded, white-crested black, non-bearded golden, non-bearded silver, and non-bearded white were first recorded.
• In 1883, the bearded golden, bearded silver, bearded white, and bearded buff-laced came along.
• Then in 1938, the non-bearded buff-laced was recorded.
• Finally, in 1963 the non-bearded white-crested blue was recognized.

As you can see, the breeds go back quite some time. However, the most recently recognized is just varieties came about just short of 60 years ago. This suggests some organized breeding may have taken place. But just like the breed's origins, nobody knows the true history of the Polish Chicken. Some say they just "keep popping up"... 

Do Polish hens have WATTLES?

Polish hens should appear to have a small V-shaped comb. When it comes to wattles and earlobes, they are small and often hidden from sight in the bearded and muffed varieties of the breed.

Further, the combs and wattles come brightly colored, usually in red and they have white earlobes. Additionally, if you get your Polish Chickens from a backyard breeder, they may come in colors and shades that aren't recognized by either the APA or ABA.

2) They are mysterious

You would think that a chicken breed with the word “Polish” in its name hails from the implied country, but not so fast. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, these odd chickens can trace that tag name to the Dutch word “pol” which translates to “head.”

While the pros aren’t entirely convinced of that, it is widely believed to be the case. However, when it comes to matters of its exact cradle, even chicken gurus aren’t too sure. No one is quite sure where these majestic birds came from, but we're sure glad they're here.

On one hand, you have those who believe the bird’s roots are in the Netherlands. On the opposing side, some say medieval Mongols brought the breed to Europe but not necessarily to the country above.

There is an alien angle to that story as well. Many conspiracy theorists believe that Polish Chickens are beings from a foreign realm altogether.  The planet Neptune, to be exact! In reality, no one knows where they’re from! But it's sure exciting to have a rare, uniquely aesthetic creature just pooping out eggs and navigating your property every day. It sure reminds us how magnificent life truly is.

3) Polish chickens are less broody than your average chicken

Polish chickens are usually bred as show birds, modern-day. However, they once were productive eggers like many other breeds. As a consequence, their annual egg production seems to decrease as their temperament grows better.

Polish Chickens don't produce many eggs, their egg-laying ability stands at a meager 120 tiny eggs each year.

While many find fault in the breed, there’s an upside to this less than impressive egg-laying ability.

Since Polish Chickens don’t spend a lot of time brooding (warming & protecting their eggs), they can channel that energy towards other things.

They're no stranger to showing devotion and affection. This breed is super cuddly and playful, an generally in a good mood. They're not very moody or broody at all. Consequently, they get along well with others, including others beyond their breed.

If you’re thinking about getting a sunset-companion to curl up on your lap and enjoy those fleeting moments with you, a polish chicken is fit for the bill. It's truly the next best thing to a dog or a cat.

4) They are slow to anger

Birds and children have long been a contentious mix.

Toddlers are known to pull feathers, and then freak out when the chicken gives a little sass in response.

However, the polish chicken is unlike its counterparts. It has a great temperament and will rarely seek vengeance against its tormenter. For even the greatest of grievances, they are quick to forgive and forget.

This makes them a great bird to have in a household where there are children. However, you should note that they do get startled easily as a result of poor vision. So they can be quite flighty and anxious when jolted out of routine.

Nonetheless, there are no real problems to worry about as far as retaliation is concerned. You can avoid freaking out your chickens by whistling beforehand to let them know you are coming. If there is going to be another animal around, slowly acquaint them and make sure the other animals don't fancy tormenting the chickens.

A Final Conclusion

With mesmerizing looks and a mysterious aura about them, Polish Chickens are a great fit for a unique chicken coop setup.

Coupled with a lovable personality, polish chickens make excellent backyard pets. However, they are more suited to life as pets and not production birds, as they don’t do too well from an egg-laying point of view. You may stress them out if you try to increase egg production beyond the normal range for this breed.

These are a breed that you should let live, and they'll naturally enhance your life experience by their presence alone.