I mean look at them. Just LOOK at them!😍 I cannot handle those feathery bangs.
Polish chickens are epically gorgeous, fluffy, friendly, happy, quirky chickens with top-notch topknots. They are beautiful and brilliant birds.
They're also hilarious in every way: never before has any chicken's face said 'what you lookin' at' quite like that of a Polish chicken.
Nobody can argue how distinctive looking Polish chickens are, and they're rocking the world with their rock-chick looks in loads of gorgeous color varieties. You can get fab frizzles and baby-sized bantams in almost every variety. It's like a pick 'n' mix of pompom poultry out there!
Let's whizz through everything you need to know before committing your soul to this loveable breed. I warn you now, you will fall for them, especially when you meet 'The Candy Bars'…
But dont just take my word for it, 71% of Polish chicken keepers surveyed said they would own them again without a doubt.
That isn’t hard to understand when you look at their stats in the table compared with other chicken breeds, they come out with a whopping ⅘ star rating for backyard chickens.
- Do Polish Chickens Make Good Pets?
- Are Polish Chickens Good with Kids?
- What are Polish Chickens Good For?
- How Big is a Polish Chicken?
- What Varieties of Polish Chicken Are There?
- Why Are Polish Chickens So Popular?
- What are the Most Popular Varieties of Polish Chicken?
- How Many Eggs Does a Polish Chicken Lay?
- What Type of Eggs Do Polish Chickens Lay?
- When Will a Polish Chicken Start to Lay?
- How To Tell a Polish Chicken Hen from a Rooster
- Are Polish Chicken Roosters Aggressive?
- Do Polish Chickens Mix Well with Other Breeds?
- Are Polish Chickens Broody?
- Are Polish Chickens Noisy?
- Can Polish Chickens Fly?
- Are Polish Chickens Cold Hardy?
- Are Polish Chickens Prone to Illness?
- How Long Do Polish Chickens Live For?
- How To Care for Polish Chickens
- Are Polish Chickens Suitable for Beginners?
- How Much Space Do Polish Chickens Need?
- What Should I Feed My Polish Chickens?
- What's the History of the Polish Chicken?
- Polish Chicken Name Ideas
1. Do Polish Chickens Make Good Pets?
Polish chickens make perfect pets. They're loving and affectionate, they have quirky and inquisitive personalities (they're nosey), and they enjoy toys as much as treats. They're entertaining to have around, they don't ask for much, and they love the lens…or it loves them, at least!
2. Are Polish Chickens Good with Kids?
Polish chickens are great for older kids, but young children may not be great for Polish chickens. Because of their crazy crests, they can't see very well and need dedicated owners who announce their arrival to avoid shocking them into a feathered frenzy. If your kids are good at remembering the rules, then Polish chickens will be very happy to nuzzle up on their little knees.
3. What are Polish Chickens Good For?
Polish chickens are ornamental birds. They're best for, well, looking at. They're designed to delight the eyes and they do it well. They make for great pets and are perfect for showing. They are decent layers but are useless as meat birds as they're such skinny minnies. More on their egg laying capabilities later!
4. How Big is a Polish Chicken?
Polish chickens stand elegantly at 12-15 inches in height: they're a medium-sized, tall, and slim breed. Polish hens weigh 4.5 lbs and Polish roosters weigh 6lbs, on average.
You can get Polish chicken bantams in almost every color variety of Polish chicken. Polish bantam roosters weigh 1.8 lbs and bantam hens weigh a dainty 1.6 lbs. They are the cutest little tottering pom poms!
5. What Varieties of Polish Chicken Are There?
The 10 Polish chicken varieties recognized here in the US are:
· Non-Bearded White
· Non-Bearded Silver
· Bearded Buff Laced
· Bearded Golden
· Non-Bearded Golden
· Non-Bearded White Crested
· Bearded Silver
· Bearded White
· Non-Bearded Black Crested
· Non-Bearded Buff Laced
You can also get frizzle and bantam variants of these gorgeous color varieties. The stunning sight of a mixed flock of Polish chickens is enough to make anyone quit work and stare at their flock of chickens all day long.
6. Why Is the Polish Chicken So Popular?
When you look this good, and you're nice, then naturally you're popular! Polish chickens are incredible to observe, fun and friendly to keep, and deliver diamond-white eggs regularly. Why on Earth wouldn't they be up there amongst the most popular poultry pickings?
As I said, 71% of the Polish chicken keepers we asked are smitten for life and will be keeping Polish chickens again.
7. What are the Most Popular Varieties of Polish Chicken?
In the US the most popular varieties of Polish chicken are the silver laced, the white-crested black, the golden laced, and my personal favorite: the buff laced🙌🏼. I've nothing against the others, they're all too good-looking for their own good, but you can see why the nation loves these lovelies…
Meet The Candy Bars!
These two just melt me! They are the perfect poster girls for Polish chickens! Butterfingers and Snickers live in Florida with their understandably proud human, Yvette, and Polish Frizzle cross roosters, Salem and Magic.
Images with thanks to @yvetteslittleflockers
"Butterfingers and Snickers are besties. They're Bantam buff laced Polish frizzle hens and are known as 'The Candy Bars'. They're 14 months old here, and Snickers is the one on the left whose crest flops forward more. Butterfingers is the feisty one, and they're both super-cute and friendly." (Yvette, Florida)
8. How Many Eggs Does a Polish Chicken Lay?
They're not at the top of laying breeds leader board, but they never claimed to be, looking fierce (in the fashion sense, not the temperament sense) is what Polish hens do best. For a super-chic chick, that's a healthy egg count to enjoy as a bonus to her beauty.
The Polish chicken lays 150 eggs🥚 a year. The best-in-breed ladies may top this and pop out up to 200 eggs a year, but most Silkie keepers that we asked felt that 3-4 eggs per week, per hen, is a realistic number. To enjoy a dozen of eggs per week you will need a flock of around 4 hens.
In a recent survey of chicken keepers, the below data was obtained in response to the question "on average, how many eggs does your Polish hen lay per week?" In my eyes, it just means you need more Polish chickens to make up your dozen eggs at the end of the week, so its a win-win!
9. What Type of Eggs Do Polish Chickens Lay?
Polish chicken's eggs are said to range from tiny to medium in size and are always bright white.
10. When Will a Polish Chicken Start to Lay?
Polish chickens start to lay at 6-months old which puts them at a happy average on the hen chart, with some breeds starting to lay at 4-5 months and others coming in to lay at 8-months old or later.
11. How to Tell a Polish Chicken Hen from a Rooster
Polish chickens are easier to sex than other chicken breeds. Amongst other things, they wear their hair differently!
Polish chickens can be wing sexed, but if you wait until their crests develop that's an easier way to spot a guy from a gal.
Roosters grow squared, messy mohawks whilst hens wear their hair in a sleeker, full-bodied, tidier bob.
Roosters also have longer tail feathers that arch into a curve and black feathered varieties have an iridescent shimmer to their tail feathers. Hen's tail feathers are a bit shorter and straighter.
12. Are Polish Chicken Roosters Aggressive?
Polish roosters aren't characteristically aggressive. They'll defend their girls if they must, but they won't pick a fight, and often get picked on…and picked at.
Polish chickens are usually at the bottom of the pecking order and can be victims of head-feather envy from other breeds. Your Polish roo needs you to look out for him: if you let him mix with the wrong crowd your beautiful boy could end up bald! Whilst we're talking of mixing breeds…
13. Do Polish Chickens Mix Well with Other Breeds?
Polish chickens prefer their own company to that of other breeds. They're not antisocial, but a lack of peripheral vision can leave them feeling constantly on edge in mixed-breed flocks. They sit at the bottom of the pecking order because they're docile, vulnerable, and slow to defend themselves. They're happiest setting up home with other feathery, friendly breeds like Silkies, rather than competitive, confident, or (dare I say) jealous breeds.
14. Are Polish Chickens Broody?
Polish chickens are not broody. There's not much more to say: they're just not into kids. They won't sit on their eggs willingly and if you help them hatch a clutch, they won't be very maternal. They're just too polished to parent. That being said, it means you will have more consistent eggs year round as they don’t keep going broody like some other breeds, so it’s actually a positive thing IMHO.
15. Are Polish Chickens Noisy?
Polish chickens are vocal, especially when they're cross. They have a unique cry which Polish chicken keepers can spot easily amongst those of other breeds. They aren't a great breed choice for noise-averse neighborhoods. I still think it's far less disruptive than dogs barking.
16. Can Polish Chickens Fly?
Polish chickens do fly, and you'll often find them perched in a tree nearby as they're nosy little things. They'll fly off when startled too and hop up onto higher platforms for safety – that includes your head. They don't tend to go far though, because they can't see where they're going!
17. Are Polish Chickens Cold Hardy?
Polish chickens are not suited to cold conditions, and they cannot abide damp. Left them out in a little bit of drizzle? They will never speak to you again.
They don't have any fat on them, and their feathers don't provide great insulation, but they do look immaculate and they want them to stay that way. Their crests cannot handle the cold and frost. This is not the bird for the North.
18. Are Polish Chickens Prone to Illness?
The characteristic bouffant of the Polish chicken does come with some health implications. Beauty is pain, as they say.
From the beginning, chicks are particularly vulnerable to pecks as their bony heads don't fuse straight away, much like newborns. They'll need to stay in a brooder for at least six weeks.
Chickens are more vulnerable to mites and parasites so need regular inspections and treatment of their crests and beards. A quick trim will help them see a little better and avoid irritation to their eyes. If you're showing your chickens (I mean, why wouldn't you), a trim is not okay with the judges, so get that girl a scrunchie. I'm serious.
19. How Long Do Polish Chickens Live For?
Polish chickens live for 7-8 years, and hens will be laying for 5-6 of them.
20. How to Care For a Polish Chicken
Polish chickens aren't divas, but they do demand a little extra care to keep them at their prime.
Being able to see diddly squat does not help when you look like a lollipop to predators. They can't see an attack coming so they need your help to stay safe. They'll need a very sturdy coop and won't last long free ranging.
They cannot get cold or damp, so heaters may be called for in colder months. They don't do sand, nobody knows why, so coops need to be lined with fresh straw, wood shavings, or ideally hemp bedding as its dust free, soft and easy to work with.
Water bowls are better kept a little higher off the ground, so they don't have to dunk their bangs in their drink.
They may need occasional visits to the hairdressers (aka kitchen) for an occasional fringe trim, so you'll need to get them used to being handled early on.
They must be mixed with caution and monitored closely as they can end up being pecked and bullied by bolder breeds.
21. Are Polish Chickens Suitable for Beginners?
With the right support and advice, a beginner can keep Polish Chickens, but I wouldn't say they're the easiest breed out there for your first chicksperience. They might not be a great choice unless you have plenty of patience and time. There are so many breeds out there to choose from. Choosing is as complex as choosing a dog or a cat, however Chickenpedia has have that simple buy creating a step-by-step guide to help you assess everything to ensure you end up with a short list breeds best for you. It’s really brilliant, check them out!
22. How Much Space Does a Polish Chicken Need?
Polish chickens need 2-4ft squared of coop space each. They'll need a good eight inches of roost bar to themselves too, so they don't crush that crest!
23. What Should I Feed My Polish Chicken?
You should invest in a molt-specific feed when they have their first molt at 12-months old, and you could sneak in regular protein treats like mealworms, shellfish, meat, nuts, and seeds.
24. What's the History of the Polish Chicken?
The Polish chicken isn't from Poland. That would be too simple, wouldn't it! So, what's their story? Nobody seems to know.
Some think that they're named after Polish soldiers who used to wear squared patterns of spreading feathers on their caps, similar to this chicken's funky fringe. Some say they were introduced to Holland when the Spanish occupied the lowlands. Some say the King of Poland fled to France after being unseated in 1736 with his much-loved chickens in his suitcase.
We don't know where they came from, but we're so glad they came! They were first recognized in the US in 1830 at the earliest.
25. Polish Chicken Name Ideas
Personally, I've always wanted a Polish roo named Kurk. My logic? Kurczak is chicken in Polish, and I just think it suits!
Here are 20 bouffant-inspired chicken names to get you started:
- Poofball
- Pom
- Elvis
- RuPaul (Ru the roo – I love this!)
- Tina
- Lolli & Pop
- Tracey (as in Turnblad – Hairspray)
- Wookiee
- Shaggy
- Einstein
- Fritz
- Hufflepuff
- Puffin
- Muffin
- Topknot
- Bouffie
- Cloud
- Pompadour
- Marge (Simpson)
- Helena
What Are Your Polish Chickens Called?
The more ideas the better! Share your witty and pretty chicken names here…
There are a HUGE number of chicken breeds out there to pick from. Whatever you want from your chicken, whatever floats your boat, wherever you live, there's the perfect chicken breed for you. (Me? Well, I love a Polish chicken!)
Please promise me one thing: to never pick a poultry pal based on looks alone. It's as crazy as picking your partner that way! Looks matter, yep, but personality pips appearance to the post. For a happy relationship you need a chicken whose needs you can meet, and vice versa.
Chickenpedia is like a people-poultry dating site: they have an awesome course to help you find the right breed for you. Once you've found the perfect match, then a little bit of relationship counselling may be in order. You'll have unlimited access to all the information, tips and support you need to make it a happy, long-term commitment.
Time to go steady!
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