Chicken breed
Polish
Also called White Crested Black Polish
Polish chickens are a crested ornamental breed that lays white eggs. They begin laying late but lay steadily, and rarely go broody. They prefer warm, dry weather; a wet crest can chill them in winter.
At a glance
150eggs a year
2–4eggs a week
20–24weeks to first egg
4.5 lbhen weight
6 lbrooster weight
Mediumegg size
Traits
- Cold hardylow
- Heat toleranthigh
- Goes broodyrare
- Fine in a small runhigh
- Egg colour
- white
- Temperament
- calm, but flighty when disturbed
- Good with kids
- Usually, yes
- Noise
- quiet
- Origin
- Europe; exact origin unknown (hatcheries list the Netherlands/Holland)
- Comb
- v
- Bantam size
- Available
- APA standard
- Recognized
- Conservation
- Recovering
- Purpose
- eggs, ornamental
Good for
- ornamental flocks
- warm climates
- 4-H and showing
Watch out for
- crest can become waterlogged or icy in cold, wet weather
- can be flighty when startled
- children should not grab the crest
Looks and feathers
Large feathered crest; bearded and non-bearded varieties (APA). Crest should be kept clean and dry.
Our drawing shows the most common US variety; colours vary.
Similar breeds
All breedsSources
- 1White Crested Black Polish Day Old Chicks (product/breed profile)Meyer Hatchery
- 2Whitecrested Black Polish (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 3Polish Chicken (breed facts)The Livestock Conservancy
- 4Accepted Breeds & VarietiesAmerican Poultry Association
- 5Polish (breed page)My Pet Chicken
- 6Chicken Breeds & Varieties (A2880), incl. APA standard weightsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
- 7Which chicken breeds may need extra heat in winter?My Pet Chicken
Hatcheries often disagree on eggs a year; ranges span every source we read. How we check the facts.