Polish (Poland) – White Crested Black

If you are looking for something different then look no further! This wacky little bird can certainly add a smile to everyone’s face with it’s crazy ‘hair-do’, looking like a relic from the 1970’s! The origins of this bird are far from concrete but there have been records of it through at least the last five to six hundred years, its beginnings being claimed by Poland, Spain and the Netherlands, all seem to have had a hand in its development. On the females the hair-do is very much a rounded pom-pom, whereas with the male, a wild stand of spikey feathers gives a mad looking appearance! Many will say that Polish are skittish and flighty as they can be easily spooked, but this is due mainly to their vision being impaired by the head feathers, so a calm gentle approach is favoured, also careful trimming of the feathers around the eyes occasionally will greatly help. Once tamed they are generally calm and friendly by nature and can make wonderful pets, especially for children. They are not good in the cold and wet so extra care is needed, also be sure to keep an eye on them if allowed out of their enclosure as they are very inquisitive little birds. Introduction to other birds can prove difficult as they generally stand quite low in the pecking order, so good advice should be sought.

Although originally kept for egg production many years ago, they are now mainly kept as pets and certainly can entertain and raise many laughs. That said, their productivity is not to bad laying approx. 170 white small/medium (slightly pointed) eggs per year.