markeddings
In the Brooder
- Oct 6, 2015
- 23
- 2
- 24
I will be having 2 Ancona's delivered in July as part of a mixed group of hens for our small backyard flock.
We will ultimately end up with about 20 hens. I am having several breeds new to me delivered. Most of them are known to me either by having owned them or having friends who have experience with them. The one exception is the Ancona. We wanted a couple of white/cream egg layers to blend in with our brown and colored egg layers for a more colorful basket of eggs for sale by our daughters, but didn't want the standard white Leghorn.
My questions about them have to do with their overall temperament, flightiness, and getting along with others in a mixed flock. Our birds have a nice sized protected run of about 22 square feet per bird (with 20 hens). The coop size is on the small side, but here in Arkansas, they have never wanted to stay inside the coop, regardless of the temps or conditions as the run is protected from wind and rain. On most days, the girls are let out to forage on our 2 acre wooded lot, and our current mix of Buff Orpingtons, RIR's, Easter Eggers, and Austrolorp are all healthy and seemingly happy. No problems with aggressive birds or failing to return to the coop at night with this combination.
The mixed flock that will replace them will be made up of ISA Browns, RIR's, Buff Orpingtons, EE's, Australorp and Austrawhites, Wyandottes, Welsummers, Barred Rock, and a Blue Copper Marans.
Will I likely have to clip the Ancona's wings, or will they return to the coop every night like my larger breeds? Are they simply a bit flighty, or will they cause problems with the other more docile hens? If my kids hold them from chicks, can they be relatively tamed?
Any feedback would be appreciated. I would have time to replace with another more common breed of white egg layer if needed, but mostly I would like to know a little more about what to expect from them from those who have actually raised them, rather than what the hatchery web descriptions say.
Thanks in advance.
We will ultimately end up with about 20 hens. I am having several breeds new to me delivered. Most of them are known to me either by having owned them or having friends who have experience with them. The one exception is the Ancona. We wanted a couple of white/cream egg layers to blend in with our brown and colored egg layers for a more colorful basket of eggs for sale by our daughters, but didn't want the standard white Leghorn.
My questions about them have to do with their overall temperament, flightiness, and getting along with others in a mixed flock. Our birds have a nice sized protected run of about 22 square feet per bird (with 20 hens). The coop size is on the small side, but here in Arkansas, they have never wanted to stay inside the coop, regardless of the temps or conditions as the run is protected from wind and rain. On most days, the girls are let out to forage on our 2 acre wooded lot, and our current mix of Buff Orpingtons, RIR's, Easter Eggers, and Austrolorp are all healthy and seemingly happy. No problems with aggressive birds or failing to return to the coop at night with this combination.
The mixed flock that will replace them will be made up of ISA Browns, RIR's, Buff Orpingtons, EE's, Australorp and Austrawhites, Wyandottes, Welsummers, Barred Rock, and a Blue Copper Marans.
Will I likely have to clip the Ancona's wings, or will they return to the coop every night like my larger breeds? Are they simply a bit flighty, or will they cause problems with the other more docile hens? If my kids hold them from chicks, can they be relatively tamed?
Any feedback would be appreciated. I would have time to replace with another more common breed of white egg layer if needed, but mostly I would like to know a little more about what to expect from them from those who have actually raised them, rather than what the hatchery web descriptions say.
Thanks in advance.