About Italian Polish Chickens

Padovana Riccia - Italian Polish frizle (photo A. Bacchella)

Italian Polish, or padovana, chickens are an ancient breed with uncertain origins. According to Darwin, it came from Poland. It probably arrived in Italy in XIV century, brought by Giovanni Dondi dell’Orologio, nobleman from Padua, eminent doctor and astronomer, fascinated by the beauty of those chickens.

The origin is anyway confused, mingling with the origin of the Polish and the Dutch, which is tuffled but not bearded. Many quotations of XVI century talk about a particularly famous and productive chicken in Padua county. The Padovana dal Gran Ciuffo has been described in the work Ornithologiae by Ulisse Aldovrandi (1600).

The decline of Padovana begun in XIX century. At the beginning of 1900 there still were some thousands head, but in 1960’s they disappear almost completely. All the breeders of the Defence of the Padovana are members of the Association “Pro Avibus Nostris”, Agricultural High Schools “San Benedetto da Norcia” of Padua.

This breed is ornamental but it can be used also for the production: it’s excellent to give value to typical products from specific zones or protected areas. It’s a good layer of eggs of big dimension (50-60 g, white shell).

The main characteristic is the big crest and the well developed beard. The temper is very confident. The sexual maturity is achieved at 6-7th month in male and 5-6th month in female. It’s a breed officially recognized in Italy. Light chicken, elegant, lively and ornamental. Female has an extremely poor broodiness. The Padovana is generally reared as pure breed and as layer. The meat is lean, rosy-white, with delicate taste (the skin is thin and white).


Content and photo source: Agraria.org.