Ancona Chicken Thread

[SanderB]

F1 generation hen, cross with a standard hen, she has white legs, but part from that she is the best hen I have.


Together with a bantam hen

 

[SanderB]

F1 generation cross, hen (yellow legs)


Her mother (standard hen with white legs)

 

[OreoandExpresso]

Ooh I love Anconas!i admire their feather pattern and they lay good eggs.i hope yours turns out well.they look pretty great and healthy

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Sander, if you breed her to a good yellow-legged cock, you'll get the legs you need. She has a nice head.

 

[SanderB]

I got rid of the 2 in my last post. Now I have 1 adult couple of bantams, 1 young bantam hen, 3 young bantam x standard hens, 1 young bantam x standard rooster and 1 bantam chick, I am afraid he is going to be a rooster. Then he would be an exception on the black dot sexing method, if so he needs to go too.

 

[Kaugomu]

I have an Ancona pullet that's right around 18 weeks, just wondering when other people got their first eggs? I'm hoping any day now, but she also isn't showing any signs of readiness, she doesn't squat, she hasn't spent any time exploring the nest boxes, although her comb is getting fairly red. Thanks!

 

[redfishingirl]

Mine started around 25 or 26 weeks, but she lays a beautiful large white egg.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I have two 9 week old Ancona pullets. Both are friendly, but one is just unbelievable. My son named her Kumi (not sure where he got that!) and she will hop up on any available lap and rub up against my legs hoping for a treat. When it is feeding or snack time she is right under foot. I just can't wait to see the how she evolves into a wonderful hen. I will definitely have more especially if they are anything like our Kumi!

 

[Rhinoman]

Why so little interest in these birds? Seriously. Yellow House Farm has all but completely convince me that these are the birds I should work with for my project: a homogenous backyard flock for mostly eggs that will produce throughout the year. Breeding is complicated and my six homeschooled children will learn real life applications of their lessons (I've got a thing for birds anyway).

Every time I check the Heritage RIR and PR threads have a ton of new post, can barely keep up, but here not so much.

Is there a reason there seems to be less interest in these birds?

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Why so little interest in these birds? Seriously. Yellow House Farm has all but completely convince me that these are the birds I should work with for my project: a homogenous backyard flock for mostly eggs that will produce throughout the year. Breeding is complicated and my six homeschooled children will learn real life applications of their lessons (I've got a thing for birds anyway).

Every time I check the Heritage RIR and PR threads have a ton of new post, can barely keep up, but here not so much.

Is there a reason there seems to be less interest in these birds?

I noticed that too. I'm not sure why they aren't more popular. I can't say much about egg production from first-hand experence yet, but they seem to be great producers. I have two Ancona pullets and they stole my heart from the start. As chicks they are simply beyond cute. Murray McMurray called them "snappy" and I think that describes an Ancona chick to a T! My smallest pullet Kumi (my five year old named her) is the sweetest bird out of my entire flock. Does anyone know about when they start to lay and for how long Anconas usually produce?