Chickens of breed Ancona belong to egg type of hens. They rush well, giving more than 150 eggs a year. In addition, this breed of chickens has an unusual speckled color of plumage. Because of this, it can often be found in the collections of enthusiastic breeders.
Ancons were obtained after crossing the native Italian breeds with white and black plumage. Breeders engaged in breeding a new breed, lived near the port of Ancona, so the breed has such a name.
Subsequently, it was from this port that chickens came to England. According to some historical reports, this happened in 1851. In 1888 from England, these chickens came to the United States.
Some German breeders mistakenly call them Speckled Leggornom. In fact, Ancona chickens are an independent breed with their own characteristics. Some of them are significantly different from the signs of Leggorn.
Breed description Ancona
Ancons are large birds of medium height. First of all, they are distinguished by a unique speckled color: white dots are clearly visible on the black or gray plumage.
They have a rectangular body, which is located at a slight angle relative to the ground. The torso of the Ancon does not look angular, as the fluffy mottled plumage completely hides all forms of chickens.
The back is small but wide. On it fall long feathers neck, which can be either black or gray. The neck is of medium length with a not very large head. On it are small red or orange-red eyes.
The face of the bird, the comb, and the earrings are colored scarlet. Earrings are elongated, rounded at the ends. Roosters have bigger ones. Bill is bright yellow.
The hen's crest may lie on one side, while on the other hand, the cocks lie straight. On the ridge you can count from 4 to 6 teeth. The earlobes of some individuals may be black, and the rest - light or white.
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The tail of the Ancon is magnificent. In roosters, it has long and rounded braids of a dark or light color. In chickens it is not so big, but it stands just as straight. The wings fit snugly to the body. Because of the magnificent plumage, they completely "drown" in the body of the bird. The legs are colored bright yellow, and the fingers are wide open.
Features
Ancona is a strong and mobile breed of hens. These birds love to spend most of their time on the walking, so before settling livestock you need to equip a spacious yard, where the birds will look for food and fallen grain.
Chickens are beautiful withstand the Russian winter and strong summer heat. For this reason, the house or enclosure where the bird will be kept may not be heated additionally. However, in winter, it is advisable to feed the bird with vitamins.
Also in chickens Ancona is very calm and docile in nature. They quickly get used to their master, becoming fully tame birds. They get along easily with other poultry and animals. Even roosters do not fight with representatives of other breeds.
In addition, the bird flies quite well. So that they could not fly far beyond the walking yard, it is necessary to equip the shed or create a yard under the canopy of thick trees.
Content and cultivation
Chickens have long been known for their activity, so they need to be kept in open space.
Most of the time the birds will walk around the yardlooking for insects. In their house or an aviary, they will go only to relax or to hide from the weather.
The best option of the yard will be a garden. As a rule, in the garden there are tall trees that do not allow massive chickens to fly far. It is worth noting that the Ancons can take off to a height of 2 meters.
In case there is no garden and a small plot with trees on the plot, then a shelter or a high fence should be organized for the livestock. It will impede the free movement of birds, and will also help protect them from predators.
They tolerate any kind of cold, but they have one vulnerable part of the body - comb. During severe cold, he may face frostbite, so the livestock owner must worry about the safety of the birds in advance.
For this crests of cocks and chickens must be treated with petroleum jelly. It forms on them a reliable film that will protect the delicate skin of the comb from the effects of frost and cold wind.
The breeding of these chickens is somewhat complicated. The fact is that the Ancon hens are very bad hens, therefore the owner of the site must buy an incubator in advance. On the modern market of farming equipment, you can find good options for devices from both foreign manufacturers and Russian ones.
Chickens have a weight in the range of 1.8-2.2 kg, and roosters - 2.2-2.8 kg g. Egg production ranges from 120 to 180 eggs per year (egg production in different individuals may vary). Eggs have a light colored shell. Specimens weighing more than 50 g are well suited for incubation. The average survival rate of young and adult birds is 95%.
Where can I buy chickens in Russia
Ancona is engaged in the sale of young and adult chickens, as well as hatching eggs and day-old chickens "Bird village". The farm is located in the Yaroslavl region in an ecologically clean region, just 140 km from Moscow.
For the latest information on the availability of eggs, chickens and adult poultry, please call +7 (916) 795-66-55.
Analogs
Replacing this breed can be highly productive chickens Leggorn. They participated during the breeding of the Ancons. This breed can lay up to 300 eggs per year.
However, even this figure is not the limit, as there are always record individuals. Because of such high egg productivity, such chickens are often bred on an industrial scale.
Conclusion
Chickens Ancona breed have good egg productivity, but farmers get them not only for eggs. An unusual speckled plumage and a friendly disposition are added to the good egg productivity, which makes it possible to wind up these birds as decorative pets in the country.