Polish chickens: Comic relief for the backyard flock
Polish chickens are one of the most beloved breeds of chickens kept as backyard pets. Although some are good producers of eggs, others are only mediocre. The chickens’ true value comes with their personalities.
“With their wild crest feathers and sprightly behavior, Polish chickens can be comic entertainers.”
Polish chickens tend to be sweet and loving as well as silly and amusing. One chicken keeper said of her Polish flock, “These are amazing birds who love, love, love, love people.” Another said that hers had a “goofy, endearing temperament. “
And another said of his rooster, “He… adds a lot of charm and entertainment value to our chicken yard.”
Polish chickens are an excellent choice for backyard chicken keepers who are looking for a fun and sweet breed to add to their flocks. However, these birds definitely aren’t right for everyone.
Relative to most other breeds, Polish chickens need much more protection from predators, more protection from the wet and cold, and more protection from other chickens. Failure to plan in advance for your Polish chickens can lead to major suffering and even death for these sweet birds.
In this article, you’ll learn what you can expect from Polish chickens and how to plan for their care. You’ll learn:
What Polish chickens look like in their many different colors and patterns
Polish broodiness (do they have a desire to hatch and raise chicks?)
Climate considerations for Polish chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Polish temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
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Have Polish chickens?
Polish chicken facts
Category: Pet & eggs
Origin: Holland
Egg-laying ability: Moderate-good
Broodiness: Low
Meat production: Poor
Cold tolerance: Poor-Mediocre (crests freeze)
Heat tolerance: Good
Predator evasion: Poor
Foraging ability: Poor
Toleration for confinement: Good
Temperament: Docile
Aggression toward flock members: Low
Noise level: Moderate-high
Origin of Polish chickens
Like many chicken breeds, the origin of Polish chickens isn’t fully understood. Poultry historians can’t even agree on where the name, Polish, comes from.
The name, Polish, doesn’t seem to have come from the Polish country or culture as these chickens aren’t actually from Poland. The name instead may have come from the English word “polled,” drawing attention to the resemblance between the bony knob on the Polish skull and polled cattle.
However, The Livestock Conservancy has said that the name, Polish, comes from “the resemblance to the square, spreading crests on the feathered caps historically worn by Polish soldiers.”
The one thing that poultry historians can agree on is that this breed is old. The breed was popular in Holland, where you can find Polish birds in paintings as far back as the 15th century.
But where the birds came from before that, nobody knows. Some historians think the Polish came to Holland from Eastern Europe. Others think the Polish originally came from Italy or Spain.
Polish chickens had been imported into England by the 1700s, and they were imported into America between 1830-1840. They were incredibly widespread and popular egg-laying birds in America by the 1850s. However, by the end of the 19th century, they had fallen out of favor as more productive breeds, such as Leghorns, become popular.
Today, The Livestock Conservancy has given Polish chickens a status of “Watch,” which means their breeding numbers are limited in the U.S., and they are globally endangered.
Many strains today have been bred for aesthetic purposes and no longer lay as many eggs as they once did.
What do Polish chickens look like?
There are 10 official varieties of Polish chickens. “Official” means they are recognized by the American Poultry Association or the American Bantam Association. And then there are numerous unofficial varieties.
Some Polish are bearded. Some are not. And some Polish are bantams (i.e., miniature sizes).
Polish feather colors and patterns
Polish chickens come in such a large array of feather colors and patterns.
The table below shows the 10 official varieties of Polish. This information comes from the book, Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds, by Carol Ekarius.
| Polish variety | Plumage | Beak | Eyes | Shanks and toes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-Crested White | White, except for lustrous black crest | Horn | Reddish bay | Slaty blue |
| Blue | Standard blue | Horn | Dark brown | Leaden blue, with pinkish white on bottoms of feet |
| Buff Laced | Golden buff laced in creamy white | Slaty blue | Reddish bay | Slaty blue |
| Golden | Standard golden | Swarthy horn | Reddish bay | Slaty blue |
| Silver Laced | Standard silver laced | Swarthy horn | Reddish bay | Slaty blue |
| White | Standard white | Dusky horn | Reddish bay | Slaty blue |
| White-Crested Black | Lustrous black, except for white crest | Bluish black | Reddish bay | Dark slate |
| White-Crested Blue | Blue, except for white crest | Bluish black | Reddish bay | Dark slate |
| White-Crested Chocolate | Dark to milk chocolate with a neutral sheen, except for white crest | Horn | Reddish bay | Slate |
| White-Crested Cuckoo | Barred in blue and white, except for white crest | Horn | Reddish bay | Slaty white |
Below, you can see a few Youtube videos showing some of the most common varieties of Polish chickens.
Buff Laced Polish chickens
Golden Laced Polish chickens
White-Crested Black and White-Crested Blue Polish chickens
Many varieties of Polish are not recognized by the APA or ABA, including:
Black-Crested Blue
Black-Crested Buff
Black-Tailed Red
Crele
Harlequin
Self Black
Self Chocolate
Splash
White-Crested Blue Splash
White-Crested Buff
White-Crested Dun
White-Crested Khaki
White-Laced Red
And then there are the frizzles. Some breeders have bred the frizzle gene into their Polish stock to make birds with curled, forward-facing feathers.
Below, you can see a video of an adorable Polish Frizzle chicken running around the yard.
Be aware that if you order Blue Polish chickens, you may end up with Blue, Black, or Splash Polish chickens.
This is because Blue Polish chickens tend to have complicated genetics so that the blue color doesn’t breed true. Typically, if a Blue hen is mated to a Blue rooster, they will have only 50% Blue offspring. The other offspring will be roughly equal numbers of Black and Splash chickens.
What is notable about the Polish chicken’s appearance?
The most notable feature about the Polish chicken is its giant crest of feathers. Sometimes these crests are referred to as topknots or top hats, but they’re not just made of feathers. Polish chickens actually have a knob of bone on the top of their heads, and their feathers grow out of this knob.
Some Polish chickens will also have beards and/or muffs (i.e., soft feathers that grow out of their cheeks).
And, like most crested breeds, Polish chickens have an unusual V-shaped comb. This comb is often not visible as its fairly small and can be hidden in the crest feathers, particularly on hens.
Polish chickens also have white earlobes, although these can also be hidden in the bearded and muffed varieties.
How big do Polish chickens get?
Roosters: 6 lbs
Hens: 4.5 lbs
Bantam roosters: 30 oz
Bantam hens: 26 oz
What do Polish chicks look like?
The appearance of Polish chicks varies, depending on the variety. All chicks are born with the little bony knob on their head, and so you can usually see their tiny feather crest immediately.
Below are videos of three of the most common varieties of Polish chicks.
White-Crested Black Polish chicks
White-Crested Blue Polish chicks
Golden-Laced Polish chicks
Are you getting Polish chicks?
Share your photos, week by week!
Polish chickens and egg laying
Egg color: White
Egg size: Medium
Age of lay: 6 months
Eggs/week: 2-4 (depends on the strain)
Eggs/year: 100-200 (depends on the strain)
Some strains of Polish chickens lay quite a few eggs (around 4/week). However, some strains, bred for aesthetic qualities (particularly, those bred to be show birds), lay much fewer (around 2/week).
Some strains of Polish chickens can be late layers, and may not lay until they are 9-10 months old.
If egg-laying is important to you, you’ll want to check with your breeder or hatchery to get egg-laying information on their strains of Polish chickens before ordering.
Below is a video of a Silver-Laced Polish hen laying an egg:
Broodiness: Do Polish hens want to hatch their eggs?
Because Polish hens were historically bred for egg production, they do not tend to go broody. This means you aren’t likely to find your Polish hens sitting on their eggs with baby fever.
Polish chickens: Not the hardiest breed
How do Polish chickens do in the heat?
Polish chickens do best in a dry, temperate climate. But as long as your chickens always have access to fresh, cold water and to good shade, they tend to do alright in the heat.
How do Polish chickens do in the cold?
Polish chickens frequently do poorly in the cold. This is because their crests are so large that when they get wet, they can freeze. At best, this is incredibly uncomfortable for Polish chickens. At worst, they can get frostbite and even die.
Some people insist on keeping Polish chickens despite living in cold climates. This is not in the best interest of the birds. But if you are one of these people, at the very least, put a Sweeter Heater above your birds’ roosting bars so that they can thaw their crests out.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here.
“Water should never be provided in open containers, as a wet crest, especially in freezing conditions, can cause the bird great suffering.”
Consider using nipple waterers for your Polish chickens, like this nipple waterer on Amazon, rather than bowl-type waterers.
Polish chickens vs. predators
“The Poland is totally defenseless against predators and should be protected at all times.”
Polish chickens fare poorly against predators, simply because their large crests impede their vision. Many Polish can’t see above themselves, behind themselves, or beside themselves, and thus they are incredibly vulnerable to both aerial and terrestrial attacks.
Some Polish have crests that are so huge and fluffy they can’t even see in front of themselves. At best, they can see only directly below themselves.
One chicken keeper said of her Polish bird, “She’d be the perfect bird if she weren’t such an airhead. I’ve never seen a chicken run towards a hawk.” Certainly, this bird is no airhead—she just can’t see.
If you get Polish birds with these kinds of large, vision-impeding crests, the kindest thing you can do is trim the crests so your birds can see. Even so, they will still need more protection against predators than most other chicken breeds.
Polish chickens: Foragers or not so much?
Most Polish chickens aren’t good foragers. Some of them just can’t see well enough to forage. You definitely don’t want to get this breed if you want your birds to forage for much of their own food. Your Polish won’t get anywhere near enough on their own.
Polish chickens: Confinement or free range?
Polish chickens will usually need to be confined to a covered run so that they are protected from both predators and the weather.
However, if the weather is dry and you are able to keep them safe, they do love to free range.
Like all chickens, they love to scratch, explore, and forage (even if they’re not very efficient at it), so the more space you can provide your Polish birds, the happier they’ll be.
Polish chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
Polish chickens are usually described in two ways: sweet and hilarious.
Polish chickens: The sweetest birds
Many Polish chickens love to be picked up and even carried around. They’ll fly up to perch on your shoulders or head. And they love to fall asleep in your arms. Even many roosters will do this. They also like to follow you around.
However, some chicken keepers will find that their Polish chickens are extremely jumpy and nervous. This is what happens when their crests are too large. They can’t see what’s going on around them so they’re constantly fearful and they startle easily. Some will even run into things and show anxious behavior, like constant pacing.
One chicken keeper said of his rooster, “I know my Polish male cannot see me and jumps 5 feet in the air when I come at him from an angle that he can’t see.”
Another chicken keeper said of her Polish flock, “You do have to make sure they are not under feet when you walk as they like to be close and cannot see you stepping. They are quick, so if you are not paying attention, you might step on them.”
One of the biggest kindnesses you can do for your Polish birds is to trim or tape their crest feathers if they can’t see. They will live a much higher quality of life if you do this for them.
For how-to video instructions on how to trim your Polish chickens’ crests, check out the section below on Polish chicken health problems and life expectancy.
For video instructions on how to tape your birds’ crests, check out my article on Silkie chickens.
Polish chickens: The funniest birds
If you want to just kick back and relax in the evenings and get some good entertainment in your backyard, Polish birds may be perfect for you.
One chicken keeper said of her Polish chickens, “They are so funny to watch, and we have the greatest time just watching them around the yard. In all, they are good chicken to have, especially if you’re looking for some fun poof heads to laugh at.”
Another chicken keeper mentioned it’s “hilarious to watch as their ‘hair’ blows in the breeze.”
Not only are Polish birds funny because of their goofy looking feather crests, they also have quirky mannerisms. Polish chicken keepers often describe their birds as spry, fast, and animated. One chicken keeper said of her Polish flock, “They are always energetic. They bounce around a lot.”
And these chickens can really be quirky. One keeper told a story about how her Polish rooster actually gets in the nesting boxes every day, saying, “He likes to fluff up nesting material for the girls.”
And below, you can watch a video that shows an adorable little Silver Laced Polish hen talking softly as she plays on a swing.
How are Polish chickens around children?
Most Polish chickens are very good with children.
One chicken keeper said of her Polish hen, “One of my grandsons picked her up and she fell right to sleep in his arms, [she] enjoys being spoiled with love.”
Below you can see a video of a little boy trying to train a Splash Polish chicken:
Are Polish roosters aggressive to people?
Polish roosters can be very sweet. They can be very aggressive. Or they can be anything in between. As with roosters of most breeds, you never really know what you’re going to get.
Below is a video of a super goofy looking Polish rooster who is crowing a bunch and then attacks the cameraman. This is only a mildly aggressive rooster.
How well do Polish chickens get along with other chickens?
Do not keep your Polish chickens with most standard-sized chicken breeds. Although Polish chickens themselves are non-aggressive, they very frequently fall victim to severe bullying.
Most other chickens will find Polish crests to be as strange as you and I do, and chickens peck at things that are strange. Many Polish chickens end up getting their crest feathers ripped out by other chickens, which can be incredibly painful for them.
And Polish chickens can’t see as well as other chickens due to their large crests, so they have a harder time avoiding or escaping conflict. One chicken keeper told a story of her mixed breed flock:
“Because of the crests and their limited vision caused by the crests, Polish get badly picked on by other standard sized breeds. We ended up having to remove our Polish from our flock and put them in a separate enclosure with our Silkies, which had also been badly picked on by the larger birds.”
If you leave your Polish with other breeds, they may even get killed. Sadly, this is not uncommon. One chicken keeper said, “My Polish roosters were always the lowest in the pecking order, and were killed by their larger flock mates.”
Another said, “My aggressive Leghorns like to pluck the crests and try to kill them. They even did kill one. Now, they live in my basement…”
If you want to get Polish chickens for your backyard flock, make sure you house them with other gentle breeds, like Silkies, Sultans, or Houdans.
If you want to try housing them with larger chickens, make sure you introduce them slowly and are always there to supervise. And make sure you have a backup plan for if your Polish birds aren’t accepted by the others. Don’t leave them to get pecked to death—this is a brutal way for them to go.
Polish chickens: Are they noisy?
Polish chickens do tend to be noisier than the average breed. They tend to be a very chatty breed, and some individuals can be especially loud. One chicken keeper said, “One of our hens is probably louder than the rooster and voices her opinion a lot.”
Another chicken keeper said, “Alice, the Black White-Crested Polish likes to talk. I’ll say her name and she makes little sounds back at me; it’s the cutest thing.”
I absolutely love talkative chickens, but they’re not for everyone. If you have neighbors that are sensitive to animal noise, you may want to consider a different breed.
And if you want to hear what a Polish rooster crow sounds like, check out Mr. Cantsee, a White-Crested Black Polish rooster, below.
Polish chicken health problems and life expectancy
Because Polish chickens have crests, they may require some extra care. If the crests grow large enough to hinder your chickens’ views, which is very common with the Polish breed, you may need to trim them back. This is especially important if you have any predators in your area.
Below is a video showing a man who is trimming the feathers of his White Crested Cuckoo Polish hen. Just be very careful that you don’t accidentally cut your chicken’s comb—this would be excruciating. Also, make sure you don’t cut into any blood feathers. This is also incredibly painful and causes bleeding.
Some chicken keepers use hair ties to hold their chickens’ crests out of their eyes, rather than trimming. Some chickens will tolerate hair ties, and some won’t. You need to be very careful with hair ties, however, because some chickens will pull them out, and if a chicken then eats the hair tie, she is at a risk for crop impaction.
A safer option is taping the crests—for video instructions on how to safely do this, see my article on Silkie chickens.
Polish chickens can also get eye infections. If their crests get dirty, they can introduce pathogens into the eyes. Always keep your eye out for this. Again, trimming the crest feathers can really help to prevent these infections.
You also may want to use nipple waterers for your Polish chickens, like this nipple waterer on Amazon, rather than bowl-type waterers. Nipple waterers prevent crest feathers from getting wet (which you definitely don’t want in the winter).
You need to make sure you have a coop that’s warm and dry as well as a dry, covered run for your Polish chickens. It’s absolutely crucial for their health and comfort that their crest feathers stay clean and dry.
Polish chickens, along with Easter Eggers and Silkie chickens, also tend to have a higher incidence of cross beak than most breeds. Cross beak is a condition where the upper and lower beaks don’t line up due to a skull that’s slightly squished.
Chickens with cross beaks struggle to pick up food and can starve to death. The condition can’t be fixed, but many cross beaks still live full lives if they’re given extra care. Depending on the severity of the misalignment, some cross beaks will require very little interference from you, but others will require significant assistance with eating.
Polish chickens that are well taken care of can live at least as long as the average chicken, which is about 5-8 years. Some may live considerably longer in ideal conditions.
Breeds you may want instead of Polish
There are many other crested chickens you may be interested in.
Want a breed that’s hardier than the Polish chicken and that can tolerate the cold? Consider Appenzeller Spitzhaubens or Brabanters. Check out the articles below to learn more about these adorable and hardy crested breeds:
Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens: An egg-laying breed that thrives in the cold
Brabanter chickens: A rare and goofy egg-laying breed for cold climates
If you are interested in an incredibly sweet and docile ornamental breed, consider Sultans or Silkies. Sultans are crested chickens that were bred for shock value, and they are truly special little birds. However, they are very fragile and do require extra care. Silkies also require some extra care, but are incredibly loving and adorable little chickens.
To learn more about these breeds, check out my articles:
