Polish Chicken – A Quick Overview: Breed, Eggs, Meat, Colors, Care & For Sale

It is fair to say that the Polish Chicken is one of the most-unique looking chicken breeds out there. However, it is not that popular as a backyard chicken breed. In fact, it is not really that popular as a commercial chicken breed. Part of the reason why, is because it is difficult to raise. However, we will take a little bit more of a look at that in a short while. At the end, if you like it, we will give you information where to find Polish Chickens for sale.

For now, let’s give you an overview of the Polish Chicken.

Polish Chicken Facts at a Flance

Eggs~120 per year
Egg Color White
UseOrnamental/Show chicken
Comb TypeV-shaped comb type
Weight Male Standard: 6 lb (2.75 kg)
Male Bantam: 30 oz (850 g)
Female Standard: 4.5 lb (2 kg)
Female Bantam: 26 oz (740 g)
Country of origin Netherlands

The Unknown Origins of the Breed

We do not know. Nobody knows. This is a very, very old breed of chicken, recognized by the American Poultry Association back in 1874 and we simply do not know the origins.

It is unlikely that we ever will. When this chicken breed appeared, proper records were not kept about chicken breeds. Although, we do have a few stories.

We have read a story of how the Polish Chicken was developed by the King of Poland, shortly after he had to flee to France due to an uprising. However, this story is not true. Well, as near as anybody can tell. In fact, it is highly unlikely that the Polish Chicken originated in France or in Poland, despite the name.

polish chicken for sale

The Polish Chicken likely began life somewhere in Asia. It was then shipped over to Europe at some point. And, yes, it likely ended up in Poland and was bred for a short while there. However, it is highly likely that the final version of the breed was created in The Netherlands.

Of course, we do not have a clue which breeds went into the Polish Chicken. This is a breed that has evolved so much over the centuries that we wouldn’t be surprised if a few dozen breeds have gone into making the Polish Chicken that we know and love.

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The Look of the Chicken

The distinctive feature of the Polish Chicken is the stunning feathers that it has around its head. In fact, it almost looks like the mane of a lion.

This is one of the main reasons why people opt for the Polish Chicken. They want something that looks stand-out like this. In addition to this, you will find that some Polish Chickens are born with a feather beard, but this seems to be something that is becoming increasingly uncommon.

polish chicken

To be honest, the rest of the chicken isn’t that much different from other breeds. The only differences will be that their comb and wattle are quite small. In fact, they are so small that you may not even be able to see them most of the time. They are going to be hidden behind the feathers on their head.

Polish Chicken Colors – Recognized Variety

The following are all of the Polish Chicken recognized varieties by APA:

  • Bearded Buff Laced
  • Bearded Golden
  • Bearded Silver
  • Bearded White
  • Non-Bearded Buff Laced
  • Non-Bearded Golden
  • Non-Bearded Silver
  • Non-Bearded White
  • Non-Bearded White Crested
  • Non-Bearded Black Crested

There are a number of Polish Chicken color varieties that are not recognized by APA or ABA, on which members of these organizations are working with the Polish Breeders Clubs.

The Polish Chicken for Meat

While we have no doubt that the Polish Chicken can be eaten, it is a chicken that has never really been bred for that. There are far better meat chicken breeds out there.

This is more of a chicken that looks good as opposed to anything else. There is no real reason why you couldn’t slaughter it, but with how difficult these chickens are to raise and breed, and the fact that they can sell for a lot of cash if you have a perfect looking chicken, there is no sense in raising them primarily for meat.

Polish Chicken Eggs

When it was first bred, the Polish Chicken was a chicken well-regarded for the eggs that it produced. In fact, it is likely that it was raised as an egg-bearing chicken back then.

However, nowadays, the chicken breed isn’t all that productive. This was a trait that was pretty much bred out of them to ensure that the chicken would be a lot better as a show chicken.

If you do have a Polish Chicken, then you can expect it to lay somewhere between 100 and 150 eggs per year. Not a whopping amount, but it does mean that the chicken isn’t going to be wildly unproductive. There are many other chicken breeds for eggs that can produce even more than 300 eggs per year.

As a Show Chicken

polish chicken

Nowadays, the Polish Chicken is raised primarily as a show chicken breed. This is one of the reasons as to why the breed is regarded as a breed that is in danger of going extinct.

It also means that if you do want a Polish Chicken, you are going to need to pay a rather hefty sum of cash for one. However, if you do enjoy the idea of a chicken show, you will be able to find Polish Chicken shows all over the world where you can exhibit your animal!

The Personality of the Polish Chicken

Maybe the Polish chicken is not one of the friendliest chicken breeds in the world, but for the most part, this is a chicken that is quite calm and docile.

A lot of people would recommend the Polish Chicken to a family. However, the fact that they have feathers over their eyes can pose a little bit if a problem on occasion.

Remember; these chickens can be regarded as prey animals. This means that they can be a bit jumpy at times. This is exasperated by the fact that they simply cannot see everywhere around them.

If you sneak up on them, then they are pretty much not going to be happy with you. So, if you have a younger family, then you do need to teach your children to approach your Polish Chickens from the front as opposed to the side.

Raising the Polish Chicken

There aren’t any major health issues with the Polish Chicken. However, due to the way that their feathers are placed, they can have a bit of an issue with their vision. In addition to this, the location of the feathers means that it is highly likely that your chicken will suffer from eye infections.

polish chickens for sale

We will talk more about how to deal with that in a short while.

This chicken is also going to be ridiculously difficult to raise if you only have Polish Chickens. They are not broody at all, and it is hard to get them like that.

If you do want to raise some additional Polish Chickens, then you will likely need to add some broody chickens into your flock to raise the chickens for you.

Care Tips for the Polish Chicken

As we said before; this is a chicken breed that is highly prone to eye infections. You can thank the feathers for that. Thankfully, this is a pretty easy problem to treat.

If you are not planning to bring your chickens to a chicken show, then you will be able to clip the feathers around the eyes of the chicken. This will stop bacteria gathering around the area which, ultimately, will cause an eye infection.

If you are using this chicken as a show chicken, then you will not be able to clip the feathers around the eyes. After all, this is going to be a distinctive feature of the breed.

This means that you will need to check the eyes of your chicken regularly. Some will be doing it daily. If you spot any signs of an infection, then you will need to take the chicken to a vet to be dealt with it.

This can actually help to prevent your chicken losing its vision. In addition to this, you should be lightly cleaning around the eyes regularly. This, once again, will help you to prevent your chicken from getting eye infections.

Chickens are never going to be brilliant fliers. However, the Polish Chicken comes close.

This is a chicken that will almost constantly try to get up in the air. In fact, a lot of people have reported that their Polish Chickens love sleeping in trees as opposed to their coop.

Obviously, this is something that you do not want to happen. The chicken is not going to be able to see predators at the best of times, so the last thing you want is for your chicken to be putting itself in danger.

Now, obviously, the best solution for this is to clip the feathers of your chicken so it cannot fly. However, this is something that is not going to be good if your chicken is a show chicken. So, once again, you probably do not want to be doing that and you need another solution.

One thing we do want to point out is that the Polish Chicken is not really a chicken that likes wide-open areas to run about in. It does better if it is confined.

Obviously, the fact that it can fly also helps keeping it nice and confined too. This means maybe consider having a roof on the chicken run. It is going to help your chicken feel safe and secure and, of course, it is going to help to keep them clear of predators.

Beyond this, all you really need to do is focus on ensuring that your chicken has a quality diet. This means that the vast majority of their diet should consist of chicken feed with a small smattering of fruits and vegetables on occasion.

If you can do that, then we can promise that your chicken stands a better chance of being nice and healthy!

Polish Chickens For Sale

If you are lucky enough to live near a local hatchery where you can find Polish chickens for sale, that is great. If, however, you are among the unfortunates that are unable to do so, consider the following hatcheries as good options:

In general, you should expect to pay a couple of dollars more for Polish chicks, compared to other more commercial breeds.

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