The Buff Laced Polish Chicken is a rare and ornamental chicken breed, but they're able to lay around 150 to 200 white eggs per year. They are known for their beautiful feathers and unique crest, but this does make it harder for them to spot predators.
Read on to see if you should you consider this breed for your backyard or small farm operation.
Table of Contents
Where Does The Buff Laced Polish Chicken Come From?
Buff Laced Polish chickens originated in the Netherlands. Interestingly, this polish chicken did not originate in Poland but was given the name by the Dutch because the crest on their heads resembled feathered caps worn by Polish soldiers in the 1800s.
Polish chickens were originally used for egg production in various countries. Yet in the 1850s, the white leghorn chicken debuted and soon replaced them. However, because of their unique appearance, they became known as ornamental birds, and the Buff Laced Polish chicken became one of the most popular varieties of the Polish chicken.
What Does a Buff Laced Polish Chicken Look Like?
Buff Laced Polish chickens are most well known for their “top hats” which look like an extravagant plumage on the top of their head, also called a crest. While their crest of feathers makes for a dramatic look, it can limit their ability to see, which translates into timidity and being easily startled.
Buff Laced Polish chickens are stunning to look at with golden buff feathers featuring intricate, white lacing along their feathers, and their shanks and toes are a slate blue color.
Buff Laced Polish chickens come in two different varieties, bearded and non-bearded.
Buff Laced Polish chickens were accepted by the American Poultry Association in the 1870s with both standard and bantam varieties included. The APA officially recognizes ten different colors including non-bearded White Crested Black, Non-Bearded Golden, Non-Bearded Silver, Non-Bearded White, Bearded Golden, Bearded Silver, Bearded White, Bearded Buff Laced, Non-Bearded Buff Laced, and Non-Bearded White Crested Blue.
These birds do come in crested, laced and frizzled varieties. The frizzle-feathered type looks unkempt because the feathers are curled outward, but they add even more personality to the look of this chicken.
Both males and females have white earlobes, with grey legs and four toes.
Interestingly, the polish hen and the polish rooster look quite different in other ways, with roosters having long, wild crests and hens having shorter, more circular-looking crests. Hens have no wattles, and shorter tail feathers whereas the rooster has long pointed feathers and red wattles so it is easy to tell them apart.
Males should weigh 6 lbs and females should weigh 4.5lbs according to the Standard of Perfection for standard sizes. Bantam varieties should be less than 1.8 lbs.
Do Buff Laced Polish Chickens Lay Eggs?
Buff Laced Polish hens are decent egg layers, and although they were originally used for egg production, they are only average in the number they produce when compared with other breeds today.
| Egg Production | 3-4 per week |
| Begins Laying | 20 weeks |
| Egg Color | White |
| Winter Laying? | Sometimes |
Pullets will start laying eggs in the spring, so if you have one that approaches laying age in winter, do not expect her to lay her first eggs until the springtime.
Is it Easy to Breed Buff Laced Polish Chickens?
Polish chicks are not considered difficult to breed. Polish hens rarely go broody and make excellent mothers.
As with breeding any breed of chicken, you must keep a close eye on the eggs in the hatchery to help the eggs mature by keeping the eggs at the optimal temperature. Do this and you should be rewarded with baby chicks!
What Kind of Personality does a Buff Laced Polish Chicken have?
Buff Laced Polish Chickens have docile personalities. They are known for being friendly and gentle, though they do get startled easily. Much like silkies, Buff Laced Polish chickens are on the quieter side, making them ideal for urban settings.
Buff Laced Polish Chickens are great with families and both the polish rooster and the polish hen are personable and will spend time with their human keepers.
These birds can get picked on by other breeds due to their non-aggressive nature and will usually be at the bottom of the pecking order in mixed flocks.
Are Buff Laced Polish Chickens Right for You?
The Polish breed is a great breed in general for urban flocks with some caveats. Polish chickens do prefer to be free-range, so if you have a decent-sized chicken run or backyard space for them, that would help keep them happy.
Polish chickens do not make good meat birds due to little meat, so if you are looking for a dual-purpose bird, this is not the right choice for you.
You may need to take some time out for extra care and trim the head feathers of your Buff Laced Polish chickens so make sure you will have time to do this, especially if they are not ornamental show birds. Not only will they appreciate it, but it will also help keep them safer from predators because they will have a line of sight.
Buff Laced Polish chickens can have more mites and ecto-parasites such as chicken lice than other breeds due to the density of their feathering. You must check them for signs of parasites weekly at a minimum to ensure their health and comfort.
Buff Laced Polish chickens do prefer a warmer climate but they must always have access to water, and cool places to rest so they don‘t overheat. They are also not considered cold-hardy so if you live in a cold climate, you will need to add heating lamps and build appropriate shelters for them to prevent frostbite due to their head feathers.
Whether you are looking for a black polish, blue polish, golden laced polish, silver laced polish, or a Buff Laced Polish, you would be lucky to add these stunning birds to your flock! With so many color varieties and even differences in size that these chickens have, you can truly choose the look you want for your backyard chickens.
Most breeders will sell them as a straight run. Be sure to let the breeder you are purchasing from know what you are wanting as these specialized chicks are often sold out in advance.
The crested polish chicken has a fan following that rivals the most popular breeds, and for good reason. The Buff Laced Polish chicken is no exception to this, and the beauty of these birds coupled with their engaging personalities makes them a wonderful choice for most people who can give them the proper care.