About Polish Chickens

Polish (also known as Padovana of Chili or Polish Frizzles), chickens have a huge bouffant crest of feathers and a v-shaped comb.

Though the derivation of the Polish breed is unclear, one theory suggests that their ancestors were brought by Asian Mongols to Eastern Europe during medieval times, and thus, could have originated in Poland. It is also believed that immigrants could have brought the breed's predecessors from Spain or Italy in the late 16th century. The Polish was standardized in the Netherlands and declared a thoroughbred in the 16th century. Chickens bearing a strong resemblance to the Polish can be seen in paintings from the 15th century, and they were extensively portrayed in Dutch and Italian paintings from the 16th through the 18th centuries.

Though usually only a fair layer at best today, In France they were once known as an excellent producer of eggs. The American Poultry Association states that they were introduced to America between 1830 and 1840. They were, during a certain period of time, favored by American farmers and chicken fanciers. The American Poultry Association accepted three Polish varieties into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1874; additional varieties were accepted in 1883, 1938 and 1963.

  They are tame but their behavior can be a bit wacky since their crest limits their vision. When in a flock with more aggressive breeds, Polish will tend to be on the low end of the pecking order. Egg laying is varied in this breed - some lay well and some very poorly. In short, Polish are sweet, beautiful exhibition birds and can be good layers in the backyard flock, but they're not reliable.