Ancona Chicken Thread

[tandykins]

Arnt they rumpless, or am I thinking of a different breed?

You may be thinking of Araucanas which are sometimes rumpless.

 

[elizmartin]

Yup, different breed, Yes congratulations to Yellow House on their win…Sounds like Your girls may be getting close to ready with the red combs….Are they getting enough protein? sometimes it takes a bit more…..or how is the light situation???? My girls have just kinda started laying again….but some of the days are so dark and dreary even with supplemental light that i am surprised. Maybe Joseph will know something.

 

[tandykins]

Yup, different breed, Yes congratulations to Yellow House on their win…Sounds like Your girls may be getting close to ready with the red combs….Are they getting enough protein? sometimes it takes a bit more…..or how is the light situation???? My girls have just kinda started laying again….but some of the days are so dark and dreary even with supplemental light that i am surprised. Maybe Joseph will know something.

I feed them layer pellets with a poultry vitamin mix sprinkled in as well as kitchen scraps and (cooked) meat trimmings. They also get mealworms, cockroaches and crickets regularly so I reckon they're probably good on the protein.

It's the middle of summer here so I don't think that light is an issue. I think they must simply not be ready yet!

 

[elizmartin]

MMMmmm food, Lucky girls, think Your right...

 

[MTmillefleur]

There are a lot of factors that trigger pullets to begin laying beyond what breed they are. They include amount of daylight hours (or artificial light), quiet and safe laying place, quality of feed and general health/parasite control. I'm in Montana USA, and all of my hens regardless of age (they need to be at least 5 months old) begin laying in late winter (February to March). They are not coddled, and I don't have electricity to the barn they live in, so it is up to mother nature.

 

[gruffy]

Hello, thought I'd throw in a few pics of my quirky hen

 

[bruceha2000]

Hello, thought I'd throw in a few pics of my quirky hen

That is a new one! None of my chickens go up in bushes. I figured the Cubalayas would go into the cherry tree (really small berries, ornamental I guess) because all my girls like them when they get ripe in the fall. Nope.

When do your Anconas usually begin laying? Mine are 22 weeks old and nothing yet (the woman I got them from said "as early 16 weeks"). Their combs are nice and red now and I've figured it's probably "any day now". Nothing yet. :/

Meanwhile, my Ancona rooster (also 22 weeks old) is already a daddy. The first chicks he fathered hatched today!

My 2 first laid at about 21 weeks so I suspect yours are close. Does this woman raise only Ancona or a bunch of breeds. 16 weeks is, I think, on the very early side and even then only for some breeds, particularly hatchery sex links. Sounds like she was giving "general chicken" times, not Ancona specifc times

 

[farmhand]

I live in the country on a peach fruit farm and have several dozen chickens that I keep caged because in years past after 2 to 3 months of chickens running around, dogs come out of nowhere and help them self's to a chicken dinner or ten. I would like to build a coop just for free range chickens but need to find a breed that will survive a dog(s) attack but still want to return home and lay eggs. Is the Ancona this breed or does anyone have other ideas. I'm also looking at Norwegian Jaerhons to try.

 

[elizmartin]

I live in the country on a peach fruit farm and have several dozen chickens that I keep caged because in years past after 2 to 3 months of chickens running around, dogs come out of nowhere and help them self's to a chicken dinner or ten. I would like to build a coop just for free range chickens but need to find a breed that will survive a dog(s) attack but still want to return home and lay eggs. Is the Ancona this breed or does anyone have other ideas. I'm also looking at Norwegian Jaerhons to try.

There are allot of predators, birds of prey, wild cats, coyotes/wolves, raccoons, weasels, rats, dogs, humans…..I'm not sure its fair to subject chickens to open dog buffet when you know that it exists. how about guinea fowl or geese….instead.

 

[bruceha2000]

I live in the country on a peach fruit farm and have several dozen chickens that I keep caged because in years past after 2 to 3 months of chickens running around, dogs come out of nowhere and help them self's to a chicken dinner or ten. I would like to build a coop just for free range chickens but need to find a breed that will survive a dog(s) attack but still want to return home and lay eggs. Is the Ancona this breed or does anyone have other ideas. I'm also looking at Norwegian Jaerhons to try.

I seriously doubt you will find ANY chicken breed that can survive a dog attack. Maybe you can get an Emu or Ostrich, a dog wouldn't likely go for one of those. Of course they don't lay well and you need to have a lot of people to feed when you do get an egg.

Your only real alternatives are predator proof fencing around the birds with lots of places for them to hide if one does get in or a livestock guardian dog that will keep predators away.