THE POLAND CLUB

The Poland club previously known as 'The Poland & Poland Bantam Club' was renamed at the annual AGM in 1999, a new name for a new millennium. The club which was founded in 1891 but vanished during the 1914 -1918 war only to be restarted again in 1920, this was a follow up from the 'Game & Variety Bantam Club' formed in 1895, this included a Japanese, Frizzle and Poland section. The original Poland Club held its first show in 1924 but with only one class this was made up of 10 exhibits. The rarity of the breed at this time also caused several other club shows to be cancelled.

The present day club is in a lot better position at present, we have around 57 members and this is on the increase, the longest standing member is our present chairman Mr Brian Anderton, he has been with the club for over 44 years. The clubs primary function is to act for the protection and conservation of the Poland breed, and to keep the breed up to a correct standard and try and ensure its future survival.

There are several club shows during the year and members will receive newsletters to help keep them up to date with all the relevant information, as a club we also offer help and advice wherever possible.

At present the interest in Polands is very much on the increase, this however is mainly in the bantam varieties, the large fowl are and have always been in the minority. Thankfully a small number of dedicated breeders will ensure there survival, this is also a success story as over the last two years the number of breeders has almost doubled.

The Poland is a very old breed dating back to the 11th and 12th century when crested fowl were recorded in southern Russia, the Poland as we know it today can be traced back to 1475 in Holland, the first English Polands were exhibited in this country around the 1850s, these proved to be very popular, which as stated earlier continues today.

Today there are a total of 10 standardised colour variations these are all multiplied by the large fowl, bantam and frizzle feathered, the frizzle feathered being the most recent edition to the clan, the standard was accepted by the Poultry Club in July 1999.

Our aim is to increase club membership which in turn encourages more people to keep and hopefully exhibit Polands, this will increase the number of classes for the breed and bring the Frizzle Poland in to recognised classes of its own.

The name of the club be: - The Poland Club.

The objects of the club shall be: - To protect and promote the interests of Polands and their breeders.

The club shall be governed by a President, Chairman, Honourary Secretary/Treasurer and a committee of six members.

The officials shall be elected annually and serve for twelve months. Elections will be held at the Annual General Meeting.

The club shall have a judges panel consisting of ten members, from which the club show and regional show judges shall be elected by the A.G.M. of the previous year. The panel to be reviewed at each A.G.M., with additions or deletions as deemed appropriate.

The A.G.M. shall take place at the annual club show, the venue being decided by members at the proceeding A.G.M.

An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called at any time on request of not less than two thirds of the club members.

Membership is open to all interested fanciers on payment of the annual subscriptions of £5.00 Single or £10.00 Family. The club officials have the right to refuse membership to any applicant without assigning cause.

The clubs financial year shall run from the 1st November to the 31st October.

Honourary life membership may be conferred by the A.G.M. on individuals whose services to the club or to the fancy are considered worthy of recognition. To be conferred by vote.

The club shall honour all rules of the Poultry Club of Great Britain relating to the exhibiting of Poultry and Bantams.

Standards of Perfection

Poland Fowl and Poland Bantams

Classification: Light Breed.
Egg Colour: White

General Characteristics - Male

Type:
Back fairly long, flat and tapering to the tail. Breast full and round. Flanks deep, shoulders wide, wings large and closely carried. Tail full, neatly spread and carried rather low, not upright, the sickels and coverts abundant and well curved.

Head:
Large with a decidedly pronounced protuberance on top and crested. Crest large, full, circular on top and free of any split or parting, high and smooth in front, compact in the centre, falling evenly with long untwisted or reverse - faced feathers far down the nape of the neck and composed of feathers similar to those of the neck hackle. Beak of medium length and having large nostrils rising above the curved line of the beak. Eyes large and full. Comb of horn type, very small if any (preference should be given to birds without a comb). Face smooth, without muffling in the white crested varieties, completely covered by muffling in other varieties. Muffling large, full and compact, fitting in around the back of the eyes and almost hiding the face. Earlobes very small and round, quite invisible in the muffled varieties. Wattles rather large and long in the white-crested varieties, the other varieties are without wattles.

Neck:
Long with abundant hackle covering the shoulders.

Legs and Feet:
Legs fairly long and slender, shanks free of feathers. Toes, four, slender and well spread.

General Characteristics - Female

With the exception of the crest, which is globular in shape, the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

Colour

Chamois Plumage Male:
Buff ground colour with white markings, crest white at the roots and tips, as free as possible of whole white feathers, muffling mottled or laced not solid buff. Hackle tipped. Back saddle and wing coverts distinctly laced or spangled at the tips, breast, thighs, wing bars and secondaries laced. Primaries tipped, tail coverts and sickles laced, the end of the sickles well splashed.

Chamois Plumage Female:
Except that the wing primaries are tipped, the colour and markings, including the crest are buff ground and white lacing.

In both sexes: Eyes, comb and face red; ear lobes blue-white. Beak, legs and feet dark blue and/or horn, soles of feet blue.

Gold Plumage Male and Female:
As in the chamois, substituting golden bay as the ground colour with black markings and lacing. In both sexes beak etc. as in Chamois.

Silver Plumage Male and Female:
As in the chamois, substituting silver as the ground colour with black markings and lacing. In both sexes beak etc. as in Chamois. White is permissible in the crests of laced varieties over one year old.

Self White Plumage Male and Female:
Pure white throughout. In both sexes: feet, beak etc. as in Chamois.

Self Black Plumage Male and Female:
Rich metallic black throughout. In both sexes: feet, beak etc. as in Chamois.

Self Blue Plumage Male and Female:
An even shade of blue throughout. In both sexes: feet, beak etc. as in Chamois.

White Crested Black Plumage Male and Female:
Rich metallic black, except the crest which is snow-white, with a black band at the base of the crest in front. In both sexes: eyes, comb, face and wattles red; ear lobes white; feet, beak etc. blue and/or horn, soles of feet white.

White Crested Blue Plumage Male and Female:
An even shade of blue throughout, except the crest which is snow white with a blue band at the base of the crest in front. In both sexes: beak etc. as in white crested black.

White Crested Cuckoo Plumage Male and Female:
Even barring on all feathers of an even shade of grey except the crest, which is snow white, with a cuckoo band at the base of the crest in front.In both sexes: eyes, comb, face and wattles red; , beak legs and feet white or blue white., soles of feet white.

Serious Defects

Split or twisted crest. Comb, if any, other than horn type. Absence of muffling in birds other than the white-crested varieties. Legs other than blue or slate. Other than four toes on each foot. Any deformity. Absence of black, blue or cuckoo, in the front of the crests of the white crested varieties. In the cuckoo solid black or white feather.

Scale of Points

White Crested Large and Bantam Crest

• Crest 30
• Head and Wattles 15
• Colour 30
• Type 5
• Size 10
• Condition 10

Other Varieties Large and Bantam

• Crest 30
• Head and Muffling 15
• Colour and Markings 30
• Type 5
• Size 10
• Condition 10

Weights

Large

• Male 2.95kg (6 1/2 lb)
• Female 2.25 kg (5lb)

Bantam

• Male 680 - 790g (24 - 28ozs)
• Female 510 - 680g (18 - 24ozs)

Poland Bantams follow the standards for their larger counterparts.