My Chicken Coop Plan – Ancona Chickens?

In previous articles I wrote about such breeds as the Rhode Island Red, the New Hampshire Red, and Australorps.  In todays article we will examine the Mediterranean bred Ancona which you might also want to include in your chicken coup plan.

The original Ancona was bred in Italy.  It was developed near the city of Ancona for which it is named. For those of you who must ask, the Ancona is not related to the Anaconda!  Although……. the Anaconda would love to munch on a few Anconas!

But I digress.  The Ancona is a mixed breed thought primarily to have been bred from Leghorns.  In fact they were originally referred to as Black Leghorns due to their black color and white tipped feathers.  Its dark, mottled black appearance makes it difficult for predators to see.  Some of them will be found to have a green or purple tint.

From Italy, the Anconas made their way to England in the 1850’s.  They were even shown in the so called “Great Exhibition” of 1851.  It wasn’t until the late 1880’s that the breed was introduced to the United States.

Anconas are primarily used for egg laying and can sometimes drop out five white eggs per week.  The typical average hen will lay 160 to 180 eggs per year.  Their white eggs are typically on the small side.  They were one of the prime egg producing breeds in Europe back in the day, so to speak

They are considered to be a very active and hardy breed.  They are great foragers as well.  They do fine in nearly any climate.

The average cock will weigh in at around 6 lb. with hens coming in at 4 1/2  lb.  The cockerel and pullets are typically 5 lb. and 4 lb. respectively.

Well, that gives you an idea of what you can expect from an Ancona!  As always, I hope this helps you make an informative decision for your chicken coop plan.

What’s that!  You want another Stupid Chicken Joke!

Here goes!  

Why don’t chickens like people ?

They beat eggs !

Ugh!

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