Buff Laced Polish Chicken is a unique and very rare breed of chicken. These chickens are famous for their distinctive crest. People also used to call them top-hat chickens because they look like a chicken wearing a hat.
Buff Laced is a popular color variety of the Polish Chickens. They are very calm and friendly chickens. They can also be good pets because they never harm children.
Apart from their unique look, Buff laced Polish Chickens are also good egg layers. So, in this article, we will learn everything about these beautiful chickens.
Origin and History
Buff Laced are Polish Chickens and they are an ancient European Breed but their exact origin is still unknown. It is commonly considered Polish Chickens originated in Poland or the Netherlands (Holland). That’s why they are also popular with the name of Poland Chickens.
These top-hat chickens appeared in the paintings of the 14th century. But they reached the United States in possibly the mid-1800s. They were named Polish Chickens by the famous Geologist Charles Darwin because of their crest which was similar in appearance to the caps of Polish Soldiers. They gained a lot of popularity in the USA due to their distinctive look and good egg production. People used to keep them as show birds for exhibition purposes.
Buff Laced Polish Chicken Overview
| Breed | Buff Laced Polish Chicken |
| Names | Poland, Polish, Tophat, Paduan |
| Origin | Unknown (Likely Poland) |
| Beginner Friendly | Yes |
| Primary Uses | Eggs and Exhibition purposes |
| Egg color | White |
| Egg Production | 150-200 eggs per year |
| Egg Size | Medium |
| Lifespan | 5 – 8 years |
| Temperament | Friendly |
| Weight | Hen 4-4.5lb Rooster 6lb |
| Children Friendly | Yes |
| Hardiness | Not Cold Hardy |
Appearance
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is a very unique and beautiful breed. Their Golden base color is very pleasing to the eyes. Additionally, they have thick, golden buff feathers that are neatly laced in creamy white or golden coloration.
Their lacing pattern is very elegant, the feathers are outlined with a bit darker shade that creates a laced effect. But the most eye-catching thing about these chickens is their crest.
Their head has a lot of smooth feathers that look like a hat or pom-pom, giving the bird a distinctive look. But it can block the vision of these chickens which can make way easy for the predators.
Their comb is normally V-shaped while the beak and legs are of light colors. Buff-laced Polish Chickens also have small, round white earlobes but their wattles are often pale in color.
There are two more categories in buff laced chickens; bearded and non-bearded. The chicken which has some hairs on its face is known as bearded buff laced polish chicken while the one without hairs is categorized as non-bearded buff laced polish chicken.
Features
- White Earlobes and wattles
- Buff or golden coloration
- Upright Posture
- Single V-shaped comb
- Clear light-colored legs
- Red Bay Color Eyes
- 4 Toes
- Feathered Head
- Slate Blue Shanks
Weight of Buff Laced Polish Chicken
Buff laced Polish Chicken is a medium-sized chicken breed
- The Buff Laced Polish Roosters can normally weigh about 6 -7 pounds
- The Hens weigh between 4 to 5.5 pounds.
However, their weight can vary depending on the feed and environment you provide to them.
Color Varieties
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is a color variety of Polish Chickens. However, 10 color varieties of these chickens are currently recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA). So, some popular varieties of Polish chickens are given below,
- Silver-Laced Polish Chicken
- Golden-Laced Polish Chicken
- White-Laced Polish Chicken
- Blue Polish Chicken
- White Crested Blue Polish
- White Crested Black Polish
The Personality of Buff laced Polish Chicken
The factors describing the personality of buff-laced polish chicken are given below,
Temperament & Behavior
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is very docile and friendly like the other varieties of polish chickens. Their gentle temperament makes them ideal pets for families with children. They also like handling a bit and you will be delightful to add them to your flock.
Lifespan:
The lifespan of these unique chickens depends on some key factors like feed, living environment, coop condition, diet and especially veterinary care. However, the average lifespan of a buff-laced polish chicken is between 5 to 7 years.
Vulnerable:
Buff Laced Polish Chicken have sight issues due to their head feathers and that’s why it is very vulnerable to predators. They might not realize the presence of any danger and predators can easily prey on them.
Noise Level:
These top-hat chickens are docile and polite. They like to stay quiet most of the time and don’t engage in fights with other chickens. Hence, you can comfortably keep these chickens if you live in urban areas with close neighborhoods.
Hardiness
Buff-laced polish chicken is not a cold hardy breed. They might not be able to bear the extreme cold weather. They like to live in warm weather and their growth and egg production will also be greater in such environments.
Buff Laced Polish Chicken Eggs
Although these chickens are mostly popular as show birds for exhibition purposes, but surprisingly, they are also excellent egg layers.
Egg Production
The hen of this breed can lay almost 3 to 4 eggs per week which is a good number for a chicken whose main purpose is not egg production. Overall, these chickens can produce 150-200 eggs per year.
Egg Color
Buff Laced Polish Chicken lay medium-sized white color eggs. Moreover, their hen starts laying eggs at the age of almost 20 weeks.
How to Raise Buff Laced Polish Chicken? Care Guide
Feeding
Feeding is always necessary for the proper growth of any chicken. A good chicken keeper always gives the best possible feed to his chickens. If your buff laced chicken is laying eggs then a 16 percent protein feed is ideal for them. You must increase the feed when they start molting.
Care & Protection
These chickens can suffer from parasites due to their fluffy feathers. It is recommended to do regular parasite-killing spray in the coops of these chickens.
As mentioned above, their head feathers can block their vision so always keep an eye on them to keep them safe from predators. If you are not using them for just showoff purposes then you trim a little bit of their hairs for their safety
Housing or Coop Set up
Every chicken needs a good coop to grow properly and produce more eggs. A 4 to 6-square feet coop will be perfect for these Polish chickens. However, you can make it bigger depending on the space you have.
Put the stranded 12×12 inch nesting boxes in their coops where they can lay eggs. Moreover, one nesting box is enough for three chickens to lay their eggs peacefully. So, it will depend on your available space that how much comfort you can give to your chickens.
Pros and Cons of Buff Laced Polish Chicken
The Pros and Cons of Buff-Laced Polish Chicken are given below,
Pros
- Unique top-hat chickens
- Good Egg Production
- Show Birds
- Children Friendly
- Beginner Friendly
Cons
- Vision Issue due to Crest
- Not A Cold Hardy Breed
- Expensive Breed
- A Rare Breed
- Vulnerable to Predators
Conclusion – Are they Right for you?
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is an excellent breed of chicken. They are calm and friendly, don’t harm children, lay a good amount of white eggs and can also be used as show birds for exhibition purposes. So, what else would a chicken lover want?
To sum up, hopefully, we have managed to give all the information related to Buff Laced Polish Chicken and all your doubts about this distinctive breed will be clear.
FAQs related to Buff Laced Polish Chicken
What is a buff laced Polish chicken?
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is a unique and very rare breed of chicken. These chickens are famous for their distinctive crest. People also used to call them top-hat chickens because they look like a chicken wearing a hat.
How many eggs do buff laced Polish chickens lay?
The hen of this breed can lay almost 3 to 4 eggs per week which is a good number for a chicken whose main purpose is not egg production. So, overall these chickens produces 150 to 200 eggs per year.
Are Polish chickens friendly?
Buff Laced Polish Chicken is very docile and friendly like the other varieties of polish chickens. Their gentle temperament makes them ideal pets for families with children.
What is the lifespan of a buff laced Polish chicken?
The lifespan of these unique chickens depends on some key factors like feed, living environment, coop condition, diet and most importantly veterinary care. However, the average lifespan of a buff-laced polish chicken is between 5 to 7 years.
Are Polish chickens good in winter?
Buff-laced polish chicken is not a cold hardy breed so, they might not be able to bear the extreme cold weather. They like to live in warm weather and their growth and egg production will also be greater in such environments.
At What age does a Buff Laced Polish chicken starts laying eggs?
Buff Laced Polish Chicken lay medium-sized white color eggs. Moreover, their hen starts laying eggs at the age of almost 20 weeks.