Helmeted guineafowl
łac. Numida meleagris, Linnaeus, 1758

The helmeted guineafowl originally comes from Africa. Specimens living in their natural environment are very well adapted to difficult conditions; they can survive periodic water shortages. Like pheasants, they spend nights on trees. They were domesticated about 2000 years ago but they still show some qualities of wild birds. They cannot fly very well and do not do it willingly, but they are good runners for that – they can cover the distance of 5 km a day. Helmeted guineafowls are very shy birds; they react immediately when a predator arrives in their surroundings, screeching loudly and alarming the whole area.

male
body length: 40–75 cm
wingspan: ca. 60 cm
body mass: ca. 1,5 kg

female
body length: 40–75 cm
wingspan: ca. 57 cm
body mass: ca. 1,2 kg

Green-legged partridge
łac. Gallus gallus domesticus, Linnaeus, 1758
native breed

It is a versatile Polish hen breed, which emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. The name comes from its olive-coloured legs. Characteristic qualities of this breed are high productiveness (150–180 eggs a year) and tasty meat, while having small nutritional requirements and good skills in independent foraging for food. They are resistant to illness and low temperatures. Big advantages of the green-legged Partridge eggs are high nutritional value and 30% lower cholesterol content compared to eggs laid by other breeds.

male
body length: 62 cm
wingspan: 88 cm
body mass: 2,2–2,7 kg

female
body length: 54 cm
wingspan: 72 cm
body mass: 1,8–2,3 kg

Serama
łac. Gallus gallus domesticus, Linnaeus, 1758

It is the smallest hen breed in the world, coming from the Malay Peninsula. What distinguishes this chicken is its specific character, as well as the fact that it is very trusting and friendly to people, easy to tame. It was only brought to North America in 2001, after which it was introduced to European countries through the Netherlands. In the USA, Serama is currently one of the most popular pets! Fun fact: in Thailand, there are rooster song competitions.

male
body length: 34–37 cm
wingspan: 45–50 cm
body mass: ca. 0,5 kg

female
body length: 24–28 cm
wingspan: 40–44 cm
body mass: ca. 0,42 kg

Polish miniature chicken
łac. Gallus gallus domesticus, Linnaeus, 1758
native breed

It is one of the oldest chicken breeds that originate from Poland, formerly an inseparable part of the landscape of villages and manors. For hundreds of years all crested chicken breeds in Europe were called “Polish”. It changed during the 1869 Dresden breeders’ congress, when Poland was absent from the world map. Breeds with a crest and beard but with no comb were then called Padovana chickens. The Polish miniature chicken is a typical show breed, with no particular economic importance. It is a gentle, vigilant and somewhat shy bird, but at the same time known for its short temper.

male
body length: 59 cm
wingspan: 71 cm
body mass: 0,9 kg

female
body length: 34 cm
wingspan: 61 cm
body mass: 0,8 kg

Polish dwarf duck
łac. Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica, Linnaeus, 1758

native breed

It’s a native Polish duck breed created in the 20th century. First, populations of mallards were produced by crossing wild specimens. From these populations, birds showing good meat qualities were picked out. Next, they were crossed with the lighter White Pekin ducks. The effect of this work is the Polish dwarf duck and as its name suggests, it is a somewhat smaller breed. Its plumage is white, the feet are orange, and the colour of the beak can vary between pink and orange.

male / female
body length: 51–67 cm / 81–96 cm
wingspan: ca. 101 cm
body mass: 1,6–1,75 kg / ca. 1,45 kg

Kielce Goose
łac. Anser domesticus, Linnaeus, 1758
native breed

A native Polish goose breed, which stands out thanks to its high resistance to unfavourable conditions. It’s a very economical bird in breeding and at the same time it has good reproductive traits and tasty meat. The Kielce goose is characterised by the white plumage, while its feet and beak are orange-red. It is a loud bird and its gaggle can be heard from a large distance. Dames are lighter than ganders; they weigh around 3.5 kg. Males’ weight can exceed 4 kg.

male / female
body length: 86–96 cm
wingspan: 165–183 cm
body mass: 4–4,25 kg / 3,4–3,6 kg