The Ancona breeders thread

[hbfarm]

I am happy to see the work Yellow House Farm is doing with the Ancona breed! I look forward to watching your flock grow. Hopefully I will have some more room for some

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Haven't seen a bug since!

Joe, I'm getting eggs at about 60% now from the seven Ancona hens I have, they are large to extra large eggs.

I bought some red sex links in Feb just to work with for the year to be sure everything is fine (perfecting my trap nest) still haven't lost a bird this year, yay! Everything will be all set for the spring, I'm very excited.

I would backup your banding with another method, toe punch or wing band or a different band type… I have several breeds and they often lose their bands, particularly my Anconas.

Wingbands are certainly the way to go. Legbands are nice as a convenience, but they're not dependable. It is amazing how they can slip out of them.

Do the wing bands have to be poked through the web on the wing? Because im not really comfortable with those types of bands...I had a broiler that had one of those,and it didn't look too comfortable on her,though she never really showed any signs of pain from it...I just don't really like doing that with my birds...I've never even dubbed any of my game chickens...

As you grow in poultry, these notions will change. Wingbands are the most professional manner of tracking your stock. The area where the wingband is placed is a thin membrane, much less substantial than a human earlobe, and chickens have a significantly inferior nervous system. Ergo, it is much, much more painful to have your ear pierced, which, as many of us know, is insignificant. There is no comparison between wingbands and dubbing, although the latter is part of the game--ha--literally as it were. ;-)

 

[Yellow House Farm]

@Rhinoman you're going to do excellently--excellently, and the Anconas are making strides this season. At 5 months this pullet is laying well. Take out your SOP and give it a read while considering her. She's far from perfect, but she certainly passes as a standard-bred Ancona. PS: I hope we see you at the NH show in October:

 

[Rhinoman]

Laying well at five months is great!

I'm not completely sure if I'll be at the October show. We had planned to go to the Bronx zoo sometime in Oct and I was going to take a three day weekend. Maybe we'll go to the Bronx zoo the ninth and I'll take the four day weekend, thur, fri, sat, sun. Thursdays and Fridays are my normal "weekend." That's a good plan.

I do plan on taking the week of the Northeast poultry show off. I'll get a hold of you weeks before, I want to be involved, volunteer, whatever. Because my scheduled is so tight I can't do show stuff all year, but I can dedicate some time!

 

[ccassidy18]

Here is one of my bantam Ancona hens. I have pics of the other two,and will upload those too.

 

[ccassidy18]

Here is my other hen...her name is Fifi... The fist hen is named Mindy. I will also post the pic of my rooster,Speck.

 

[ccassidy18]

Here is my rooster,Speck. All of my Ancona bantams are at least 4 years old...based on Speck's spurs,and the hens' attitude and other age-defining features.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Interesting bantams!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

@Rhinoman Sounds great. Do you have an SOP? If you start going over it, it might be fun for you to clerk at the show at the Northeastern Poultry Congress.

 

[ccassidy18]

They are really interesting... I have yet to see an egg from them yet, but they are starting to hit molt,which may be a factor...I will be trying to get a heat lamp for them for the winter,but I still have to work on that...right now,they are bunking with a trio of Sicilian buttercup banties,a trio of reza asils,a half dozen pure breed black,blue,and splash mixed chicks,three white guinea keets,and three royal purple guinea keets...I only have Fifi separated,because she doesn't get along with Mindy...so Fifi is in our brooder with a rabbit,two mix breed chicks,one st.run Dominique banty chick,and two st.run blue laced red wyandotte banty chicks. The rabbit had to be separated from her brother... We weren't looking to have baby bunnies

but she is only temporarily living with the chicks...just as the same goes for Fifi...I will be breeding Ancona Bantams, as long as they give me eggs..and we are hoping to start breeding next year. Also,if anyone knows someone who breeds these banties,or you are breeding them yourself,let me know,because we are currently looking for more breeders to strengthen our bloodlines for future generations.