White Polish Chickens

White Polish Day Old Chicks 

• Egg Layer
• 150 Eggs annually
• Friendly, but startle easy due to head feathers
• Cockerel 5 lbs, Pullet 4 lbs
• APA Continental
• Conservation Watch status 

White Polish Chickens make a great exhibition and show birds, and they are very popular as pet chickens as well. They are winter hardy and do well in pastured environments and with other birds. One concern is that they do have limited vision due to their fluffy crests so hawks and other overhead predators can be an issue. 

Despite their name, Polish Chickens did not originate in Poland. The name was given to them as their crest resembled a hat that was worn by Polish soldiers. Poultry historians seem to feel that the Polish Chickens originated in Spain and made their way into Holland. They are one of the older breeds of chickens, with an obscure history that puts them as far back as the 1600s. Although they were very popular in France as egg layers, it is accepted that the Dutch in the 1800s were responsible for fully refining and developing the breed and its appearance today. The breed made its way across the Atlantic to America in the 1830s or '40s. Until Leghorns with their super laying abilities appeared, the Polish breed was very common and appreciated. After the 1890's Polish were mainly raised in America for exhibition and ornamental purposes. White Polish Chickens without beards were admitted into the American Poultry Association 1874; White Polish Chickens with beards were recognized a couple of years later in 1883.