The Polish breed is one of a few in which the chicken is considered to be an ornamental fowl. It is simply bred and raised to be "pretty." It is described as a non-sitter, meaning it will not go broody and hatch its own white eggs. The bantam Polish are small in size-the cock weighing less than two pounds.; the pullet weighing 1-1/2 pounds. The standard Polish is much larger-the cock weighing six pounds, the pullet weighing four pounds.

This old breed dates back to the 16th Century, and was first admitted to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection in the United States in 1874. Bantams were admitted to the Standard in 1883. The Polish as a breed are within the All Other Combs Clean Legged Class (AOCCL). They have several distinct characteristics: the comb is "v" shaped, with large crest of feathers on its head; the tail tends to be carried a little lower than other breeds and has an angle of 130 - 135 degrees.

There are seven colored varieties of Polish Bantams recognized by the American Bantam Association, and have bearded and non-bearded sub-varieties. Those include Blue, Buff-laced, Golden, Silver, White Crested Blue, White Crested White, and White Crested Black. Of these, there are three dominate varieties: the White Crested Black has a glistening black feathered body with a snowy white crest; the Buff Laced with buff colored body feathering with white lacing and white laced crest; the White Crested White is all white and with a white crest.

To some, the Polish can be a difficult breed to raise. For show purposes, the crest on the bird should be large and in good clean condition. While they should be large, it is also important to have them in good proportion to the rest of the bird. By working to raise the biggest crest one can achieve, the rest of the bird may be neglected. The bird's crest should be symmetrical and hang in front of the eyes.

Unfortunately, one often sees Polish birds with crests missing feathers or with feathers stained and dirty. Because of this, the birds should be raised in dry conditions. Most often, breeders use pop bottles for waterers in order to keep the bird's crest dry. In addition, Polish tend to get lice infection in the crest creating a problem difficult to remedy. Lice can destroy the crest very quickly. Awareness of the problems and constant vigilance is necessary.

For more information on the Polish bantam, contact the Polish Breeders' Club, c/o Jim Parker, 3232 Schooler Rd., Cidersville, OH 45806.

For more information about the American Bantam Association, visit www.bantamclub.com; P.O. Box 127 Augusta, NJ 07822; (973) 383-8633.