Is There An Ancona Chicken In Your Future?

From far away Ancona, In the Province of Ancona, Italy, the popular Ancona chicken was sent to England in the early eighteen hundreds, followed in the late eighteen hundreds by a trip to America. From its origins in Italy to spreading around the world.

In Italy, the chicken can be found in browns, reds and white. This is probably why some copper color, once in a while, shows up in the hackles of the neck. The spangled color has come suspected mingling over the centuries of the Black Leghorn and original Mottled Leghorns. But the Black Leghorn passed on its greenish black feathers (purple tint also can be seen) tipped with white as well as its yellow, featherless legs and four well spaced toes. Toes are important? Yes, they are! Like human toes and those of many other mammals, toes help with keeping balance. Earlobes? Chickens have earlobes as well! And the Ancona has those, in the color of white.

The female’s cute little comb atop its head is a single, leaning one. The male has a comb that stands up straight and tall! Rose combed is a second variety. Bay is the eye color, and they have keen eyesight which, along with its coloring, helps it avoid predators.

Large and miniature varieties are available. The Bantam type would be one of the small kind. These are fairly common chickens. There is also an Australian variety, a red Ancona that shows red with white flecks on neck feathers.

Moulting (losing feathers) is natural and as these feathers grow back in, the white tips will grow back larger, allowing the age to be determined quite easily. The six pound rooster is a bit larger than the hen, who weighs in at a mere four and a half pounds. She is a great egg producer and as a pet, living eight years makes them about perfect.

Speaking of eggs, they lay from one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty large white eggs, (about one a day) a year. It has been said that occasionally there will be tinted eggs. They convert feed to egg production quite well. Given an adequate place to lay these eggs will keep them happy… So will the owner!

When they do choose to sit a clutch of eggs, the hens can grow a nice little batch of chickies that are durable and strong. The babies, if taken from the hen and cared for by hand, can become quite happy little pets. Teach them tricks and to come when called and they and the owner will be pleased!

The Ancona does not care to be penned up in small spaces. The females are busy little birds, the males being slower. The fact that they are cold hardy will aid the owner in decisions regarding housing. The pet chicken may want to be housed closer to their owner, the regulars in a hen house or coop. Sometimes called a chicken house, this should provide shelter from the elements as well as from predators. Normally this is where the nests would be located as well.

On a humorous note, Ancona chickens have been chosen as a model for a non-combat pet in an online game of magic! In this game it can be summoned and will follow the warrior around. It will not fight, however! Why don’t chickens like humans? They beat eggs! Hahahaha!

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