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To replicate the breed, or get pretty close to it, you have to decide what features specifically are most important. Is it the crest and coloring? Do you want a clean legged bird (feathered legs are dominant)? White skin or yellow? Muffs and bearded? Do you really want 5 toes (that's another dominant trait)?

Crossing Polish hens (any color) with Speckled Sussex rooster would get you off to the best start if you really want to keep as close to the Polish standard as possible, and reduce the amount of traits to breed out. You'll need quite a few hens to start with, as their offspring will be your foundation stock. The more hens you hatch from, the more genetic diversity your lines will have. Genetic diversity is important for the line breeding that will be required.

The mottling gene is recessive, so no first generation chicks will express it, but they will all carry a copy for it. They will all carry a copy of the right patterning genes, from the sussex as well, though you may want to try and select away from the Mahogany. After you've hatched out your Polish/Sussex crosses, you'll have to pair the half-siblings up. Choose the cockerels with the best overall type and divide the pullets up between them. This is the point where you need to hatch a bunch, and start to get really selective of who you keep for future breeding. About half the resulting chicks will have the mottling, but they may not have the right pattern genes. Some will have full crests, some will have partial crests, and some will have none. With some careful selection, you can get pretty close to your goal of a Tolbunt Polish. It will take years, though.


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