Silver Laced Polish Chicken is a top-hat chicken. This unique color variety of Polish Chickens is popular because of its silver and black coloration. They have a lot of thick feathers on their head which gives them a funny look.
These are polite and docile chickens. They lay a good amount of large white eggs and are also child friendly.
Origin and History
Silver Laced Polish Chicken is an old European Breed that originated in the Netherlands (Holland). These top-hat birds are present in the paintings of the 14th or 15th century.
Polish Silver Laced Chickens became famous in the 1800s when they were brought to the United States Of America. People loved their distinctive appearance and used them as show birds. They were given this name due to the similarity of their famous crest with the caps of Polish Soldiers
Silver Laced Polish Chicken Overview
| Breed | Silver Laced Polish Chicken |
| Class | Continental |
| Origin | Europe |
| Beginner Friendly | Yes |
| Primary Uses | Eggs and Exhibition purposes |
| Egg color | White |
| Egg Production | 120-150 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 |
Physical Appearance of Silver Laced Polish Chicken
Silver Laced Polish Chicken is a beautiful bird with some unique and attractive physical traits mentioned below,
Plumage and Coloration
Silver Laced Polish Chicken is famous for its unique look and physical attributes. The most prominent characteristic of these chickens is their beautiful and complex plumage, characterized by a laced pattern of black and white or silver feathers.
This unique coloration gives them an elegant appearance, setting them apart from other breeds of chickens. Their feathers are bright and shiny that further enhances their visual appeal especially under sunlight.
Unique Crest
Silver Laced Polish chickens have a distinctive crest of feathers on their heads. This tufted crest is the most iconic trait of Polish chickens. Additionally, the crest looks like a stylish hat that enhances their overall charm and distinguishes them from other chicken breeds.
The roosters of this breed have more hairs on its head as compared to the hens. The male feathers are also a bit brighter but the coloration is similar in both genders.
Eyes
Their bright eyes also contribute to their fascinating appearance. The eyes are small and are mostly dark in color but due to their thick crest, the eyes are mostly covered with hairs and they cannot properly see their surroundings due to sight issues.
Weight of Silver Laced Polish Chicken
Silver laced Polish Chicken is a medium-sized breed and there is a slight difference between the weight of rooster and hens.
- The Roosters normally weigh around 6 – 7 pounds
- The Hens weigh between 4 to 5 pounds.
However, their bantam varieties can weigh around 1.7 – 1.8 pounds
Comb, Wattles and Legs
They have a single and beautiful V-shaped comb which is normally red in color. The wattles are also red in color that might get unnoticed due to the big crest.
Silver Laced Polish Chickens have clear gray or slate blue color legs while each foot also has 4 toes
Features
- Feathered Crest
- Red wattles
- Silver & black coloration
- Upright Posture
- Single V-shaped comb
- Clear legs
- Bright Red Eyes
- 4 Toes
- Medium-sized chickens
Color Varieties
Silver Laced Polish Chicken is a popular color variety of Polish Chicken breed. It is also recognized by the APA. The APA stands for American Poultry Association which is an association in the USA that only recognizes chicken breeds with some distinctive qualities and physical attributes. The APA has so far recognized 10 color varieties of these Polish chickens and some most of the popular varieties are given below,
- Buff-Laced Polish Chicken
- Golden-Laced Polish Chicken
- White-Laced Polish Chicken
- White Crested Blue Polish
- White Crested Black Polish
The Personality of Silver laced Polish Chicken
Here are the main factors that describes the personality of silver-laced polish chicken,
Temperament & Behavior
Silver Laced Polish Chicken is a polite breed of chicken. They are mostly calm and friendly, which makes them excellent pets for families having small children. These birds can easily get along with breeds of your flock and you can even keep them as home pets due to their child-friendly nature.
Lifespan
These top-hat chickens have an average lifespan of about 5 to 8 years. However, it can vary among different individuals and living conditions.
Noise Level
Polish silver laced chickens are polite and they have a very moderate noise level . These chickens usually don’t like to engage in fights and prefer to stay calm and quiet. Hence, you can keep them in urban areas with close neighborhoods or noise restrictions.
Hardiness
Silver laced polish chicken likes to live in warm conditions. They can easily tolerate the extreme heat of summers. On the contrary, this breed is not cold-hardy which means you cannot keep them if you are living in areas with very cold weather conditions
Silver Laced Polish Chicken Eggs
Polish silver laced chickens are usually famous for their use as show birds but most people might not know that these chickens are also good egg layers.
Egg Production
The Silver Laced Polish hen normally lays 3 to 4 eggs per week and about 120-150 eggs per year. However, these numbers can vary depending upon the feed and chicken health. So, you can keep them both for exhibition and egg purposes.
Egg Color
Silver Laced Polish hens are known to lay beautiful white colored eggs. The hens of this breed mostly start laying eggs at the age of almost 20-24 weeks.
How to Raise Silver Laced Polish Chicken? Care Guide
Feeding
The health and growth of a chicken largely depends upon feeding. Silver laced polish chickens are good foragers which means they love to find and eat small insects from scratch and they also like to eat their food in small crumbs.
Give at least 14 to 18 percent protein to the small chicks but when your chicken starts to lay eggs you can increase the protein concentration. Fresh fruits and vegetables can also increase their growth rate. So, try to give them the best feed containing all essential nutrients.
Care & Protection
Polish silver laced chickens are susceptible to a few kinds of health problems like illness, head injuries and parasitic diseases. Parasites are a major problem for this breed due to their fluffy feathers but it can be avoided by disinfecting their coops with parasite-killing sprays.
They can suffer from various head injuries because of their crest. Their vision is also blocked by their bulk head feathers and there is high chances of head injuries. Additionally, they can become easy prey for the predators as well.
Housing & Coop Set up
Silver Laced Polish chicken is always in danger of becoming a victim of predators, so they need a safe and secure house and environment to live peacefully. The coop must be a bit bigger in size normally about 4 to 8 square feet because these chickens like extra space for roasting.
The house or coop must be clean with a healthy environment and clean water should be available 24/7. Also provide nesting boxes in their coops for the hens to lay eggs comfortably.
Conclusion – Are Silver Laced Polish Chicken Right For You?
Silver Laced Polish Chicken has many unique qualities that will make them stand out in your flock. You can use them as show birds to increase the charm of your flock or keep them for just egg-laying purposes. These chickens are polite and child friendly , you can also easily keep them as pets. Hence, you will love to keep these Silver polish chickens either as a beginner or expert chicken keeper.