Ancona Chicken Thread

[Apyl]

Haha - oh yeah my AC loves to fly up - particularly to get on my back. I have to watch it around her or the next thing I know she's standing on my head! She also loves to be petted - not sure why she's become so lovey dovey because she used to avoid me. Maybe she's getting ready to lay soon? That would be nice as she's turning 39 weeks this Weds!

Mine does the same thing lol Everytime I'm outthere refilling food and water she jumps up on my shoulder or head and sit there while I walk back and forth doing stuff. She also loves to be petted, well at least I think she does. She lets anyone pick her up and she makes soft little chirps while she's being petted.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Does each feather have a white tip? It is so hard to tell in all the photo's I have seen. I am looking into getting Anconas

 

[Apyl]

Does each feather have a white tip? It is so hard to tell in all the photo's I have seen. I am looking into getting Anconas

No, not all feathers have a white tip.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

The average would be about 1 in 5 should have a white tip, but the actual number varies depending on the part of the body.

Here's a pic of some of our growing pullets. It certainly does not show adult plumage with is a few good weeks in the coming. But it can be nice to see birds coming around.

Best,

Joseph

 

[mattwinz]

I've just got the 1 red Ancona (my other girls are a barred rock and a RIR/white leghorn mixer, but Skitchley is great. Alway very friendly, wants to fly up and wander about on me whenever I'm in the coop.

My only worry is that if I had more than 1 they'd all fly over the fence! Very active little chooks. What stops Skitchley going awol (I think) is that she grew up with my barred rock (Speckles), who couldn't fly to save herself. An amusing pair.

 

[flowerchild59]

I think the anconas are a very pretty chicken.

 

[TnMama]

This is Peggy our only ancona. You can tell we have a mixed assortment. Since this picture she has grown a lot, her comb is larger and bright red. She was hatched 3/17/12 from McMurray. She is so pretty. She comes up to the porch every morning to say hello.

 

[bruceha2000]

OK, so now I'm going nuts worrying that one of the Anconas is a male (after being satisfied that the Astralorps and Cubalayas are all girls

)

I'm probably just being a nervous new "father" but there can't be any roosters in the flock. From Ideal Poultry, 3 days shy of 9 weeks old. One has a pink somewhat spikier comb, the other a bit smaller and yellow-orange, same color as the legs on both birds. I am hoping one is just maturing a bit faster than the other and I have nothing to worry about.

pink:


Yellow-orange:


Yellow-orange:top, pink bottom (would not stay still for the photos)


I'm in my first 2+ months of chicken ownership so I can't say how each breed will work out as far as temperament. So far I would say the Anconas are inquisitive. One was the first to try the nipple waterers, even before there was any water. I didn't have to explain their new drinking system to the flock, they figured it out ASAP. They are a bit standoffish but not flighty. When I bring earwigs, they are interested but won't get close enough to take one from my hand. Then there are Echo (Black Astralorp), Dee (Partridge Chantecler) and Anais (Salmon Faverolle). All three will jump in my lap to get at the container with the earwigs. But if there is no treat to be had, they would rather not be bothered. The other Chantecler is the chicken of the flock, nervous about most everything. My friendliest are the Cubalayas. They don't mind being held. Not flighty but FLYy. Peep did a straight shot 40' flight today - fence to inside the outdoor run (4' fence). They all like to 'free range' (which means we are out with them so they aren't really FREE ranging. The Faverolles are the funniest, their fluffy butts are always sticking out of one clump of grass or another. This is 'field grass', tall and gone to seed. Makes them hard to find and they aren't even trying to hide.

 

[bobbieschicks]

If this helps...

Here is my pullet AC at 9 weeks old - she hasn't laid an egg yet but she is definitely a she.




And my White Leghorn (another mediterranean breed) at 9 weeks old - she has laid faithfully since 19 weeks old. The 2nd pic shows the difference between her comb and her brothers' combs at the same age.




here is Snow White (WL) comb at 19 weeks old, she laid her 1st egg that day. Her comb is large, red and flopped over.




And finally here is AC when her comb matched your "boy?" comb at 19 weeks old which is supposed to be close to point of lay.


Here she is when her comb finally flopped and got red - but again she still hasn't laid - I believe it's a defect in her anatomy that causes her not to lay. Here she is 23 weeks old.



This is a recent pic of AC at 50 weeks. No eggs yet.

OK, so now I'm going nuts worrying that one of the Anconas is a male (after being satisfied that the Astralorps and Cubalayas are all girls

)

I'm probably just being a nervous new "father" but there can't be any roosters in the flock. From Ideal Poultry, 3 days shy of 9 weeks old. One has a pink somewhat spikier comb, the other a bit smaller and yellow-orange, same color as the legs on both birds. I am hoping one is just maturing a bit faster than the other and I have nothing to worry about.

pink:


Yellow-orange:


Yellow-orange:top, pink bottom (would not stay still for the photos)


I'm in my first 2+ months of chicken ownership so I can't say how each breed will work out as far as temperament. So far I would say the Anconas are inquisitive. One was the first to try the nipple waterers, even before there was any water. I didn't have to explain their new drinking system to the flock, they figured it out ASAP. They are a bit standoffish but not flighty. When I bring earwigs, they are interested but won't get close enough to take one from my hand. Then there are Echo (Black Astralorp), Dee (Partridge Chantecler) and Anais (Salmon Faverolle). All three will jump in my lap to get at the container with the earwigs. But if there is no treat to be had, they would rather not be bothered. The other Chantecler is the chicken of the flock, nervous about most everything. My friendliest are the Cubalayas. They don't mind being held. Not flighty but FLYy. Peep did a straight shot 40' flight today - fence to inside the outdoor run (4' fence). They all like to 'free range' (which means we are out with them so they aren't really FREE ranging. The Faverolles are the funniest, their fluffy butts are always sticking out of one clump of grass or another. This is 'field grass', tall and gone to seed. Makes them hard to find and they aren't even trying to hide.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I am so happy! My beautiful AC finally laid her first egg! Yesterday I found a small white egg among my layers and wondered if it were possible that at the age of 55 weeks old she FINALLY laid her first. Today I watched her do it! I'll try to link a pic later from my computer! YEAH!!!!!

Here's AC and her egg from yesterday! I didn't keep today's egg as it was smeared with blood stain and had a peck hole in it.