Golden Laced Polish Chicken is a unique top-hat chicken breed. This variety of Polish Chickens is famous for their color combination along with the crest. These chickens are docile and amiable and usually like to stay quiet. They won’t harm your children and will love handling but to a limit.
Apart from their distinctive look, Golden laced Polish Chickens are also productive egg layers. Their hens lay medium size white eggs.
Origin and History
Golden Laced Polish Chicken is an ancient European Breed but their exact origin is unknown. However, these chickens are commonly supposed to have their origin in the Netherlands (Holland) or Poland.
These chickens have appeared in paintings of the 14th or 15th century. This unique breed reached the United States Of America in the mid-1800s and this is the place where they got a lot of popularity and became famous worldwide. Famous Geologist Charles Darwin gave them this name due to the resemblance of their crest with the caps of Polish Soldiers. Although they are good egg layers, people mostly use them as show birds for exhibition purposes.
Golden Laced Polish Chicken Overview
| Breed | Golden Laced Polish Chicken |
| Class | Continental |
| Origin | Unknown (Likely Poland or Holland) |
| 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 of Golden Laced Polish Chicken
Golden Laced Polish Chicken is a beautiful bird with striking feathers. The body has golden and black coloration throughout the body. Their feathers shine with a golden hue which creates a lacy pattern and covers the entire body. These chickens have a rounded crest of feathers on the head that is the main reason behind their unique or funny look.
The crest looks like a pom-pom on their head but this unique quality also has a drawback. Their crest blocks the side vision of these birds which can make them a simple prey for the predators.
The comb of these chickens is V-shaped while their eyes are bright. Their legs are clear and of slate blue color. Moreover, golden laced polish chicken have small and rounded earlobes while the wattles are red in color..
Features
- White Earlobes and red wattles
- Golden coloration
- Upright Posture
- Single V-shaped comb
- Clear legs
- Bright Eyes
- 4 Toes
- Feathered Head
- Slate Blue Shanks
Weight of Golden Laced Polish Chicken
Golden laced Polish Chicken is normally a medium-sized chicken breed but the rooster and hen can vary in weights.
- The Roosters mostly weigh around 5 – 7 pounds
- The Hens weigh between 4 to 5 pounds.
However, the weight can be increased by giving them proper diet and feed while the external environment can also play a big role in their weight and egg production.
Color Varieties
Golden Laced Polish Chicken is a known color variety of Polish Chickens. So far, 10 color varieties of these birds are recognized by the famous American Poultry Association (APA). So, some most popular and recognized 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 Golden laced Polish Chicken
The following factors describing the personality of golden-laced polish chicken,
Temperament & Behavior
Golden Laced Polish Chicken is polite and friendly. Their calm temperament makes them good pets for families with children. These chickens also like handling a bit and they don’t get aggressive towards people and other breeds.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of these unique top-hat chickens is between 5 to 8 years, However, it can be increased depending upon the living conditions, care, and feed you are giving to them.
Vulnerable
Golden Laced Polish Chicken like the other varieties of Polish Chicken has the same common problem. They cannot see clearly due to their feathers. Their vision gets blocked and they can become easy prey for the predators.
Noise Level
These chickens are mostly polite and don’t like to make extra noise. They like to stay quiet without engaging in fights with other chicken breeds. So, you can keep these chickens in urban areas with close neighborhoods.
Hardiness
Golden laced polish chicken is a heat-hardy breed and can easily live in areas with warm weather. But these chickens cannot bear the cold temperature. They are not a cold hardy breed so, might not be able to keep them comfortably in areas with cold weather.
Golden Laced Polish Chicken Eggs
Although these chickens are mostly popular as show birds for exhibition purposes, 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
Golden 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 Golden Laced Polish Chicken? Care Guide
Feeding
Feeding is a key factor in the healthy growth of any chicken. As a chicken keeper, you must try your best to give the best available feed to your feather friends. Give them a healthy protein diet which will also benefit you in egg production. If your chicken is laying eggs then a 15 to 20 percent protein feed is perfect for them.
Care & Protection
These birds are likely to suffer from parasites due to their thick fluffy feathers. You must clean their coops regularly to avoid this issue and you can also do sprays in their coops to kill the parasites.
Secondly, always keep an eye on your chickens because they might not be able to see the predators coming towards them due to their head feathers. Their side vision is blocked due to the feathers on their head but you can trim them a little, if you are not using them as show birds.
Coop Set up
Always try to make a comfortable coop for your chickens because it will not only help them to live and grow peacefully but will also protect them from predators. If a chicken is living comfortably it will lead to increased egg production.
A standard 4 to 6-square-feet coop would be ideal for these golden laced polish chicken. However, a bigger coop will allow them to spread out in summer.
A chicken loves to lay eggs in a comfortable place, so don’t forget to put 12×12 inch nesting boxes in their coops where they can lay eggs. Normally, one nesting box is enough for at least three hens to lay eggs.
Pros and Cons of Golden Laced Polish Chicken
Here are some of the major Pros and Cons of Golden-Laced Polish Chicken
Pros
- Top-hat chickens
- Good Egg Production
- Show birds for exhibition purposes
- Children Friendly
- Beginner Friendly
Cons
- Sight Issue due to Crest
- Not a Cold Hardy Breed
- Expensive Chicks
- A Rare Breed
- Easily vulnerable to Predators
Conclusion
Golden Laced Polish Chicken is an excellent breed that can add a sense of uniqueness to your flock. They are polite and friendly, don’t harm children, are productive white egg layers and can also be used for exhibition purposes. So, what else would you want from a chicken?
Hopefully, you have got all the information related to Golden Laced Polish Chicken and are ready to make the decision.