The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-05-15
PRACTICAL POULTRY POINTS
ANCoNAs.
| BY c. J. Butterfeld, Sr., Breeder, North
| Yakima, Washington.

BY c. J. Butterfield, ST., Breeder, North
Yakima, Washington.
Their external appearance is that of
fowl larger than any Leghorn yet pro-
duced, black in color notified with white.
Erect carriage, proud strutting and ar
rogant figure or STYLE with rich golden
shanks and beaks, with bright red
eyes,, comb, face, wattles, and white
WINGED that in the Ancona you have one
of the very handsomest birds. They
are beautiful and interesting, and above
all useful. That Anconas are a cross
breeders. They certainly are distinct
in shape, though they approach the Leg
horn and Minorca.
Anconas were originally imported in
to England from Ancona, Italy. The
best English authority states that they
were first observed in the early SOS.
An advertisement appeared in the Cot
tage Garden of 1854, Offering for sale
at Birmingham and had therefore been
imported direct from Italy
One of the first breeders of great
note in England of this variety was
ham, and this lady says: For many
years we kept a few fowls after the
usual fashion of ignorant people. The
fowls were expected to eat up house
scraps to lay few eggs, and to occa-
sionally appear at the table. They often
dled, and no eggs were hoped for in the
winter Then we awoke to a sense Of
our own stupidity and began to do bet
ter, but very early were obliged to rec
ogn1ze the Importance of climatic con-
d1t1onS and how much they were against
us: Living on the top of a hill, 745
feet above the level of the sea, exposed
to every wind, particularly the north
east, with the heavy clay soil which
held all the moisture, and winters that
another failed. BY chance we bought
setting of Anconas. They Matched well,
grew wonderfully fast, and when win
ter came seemed Indifferent to soil and
climate, and laid eggs with the ground
deeply covered with snow and the Their
mometer far below the freezing point.
At last we had found the right breed
and have never kept any other since"
Light of weight, quick and active,
the Ancona is always on the move. If
at liberty they forage for themselves,
ranging fields and hedge rows from
morning till evening and keep them
else. They do not sit about in the cor
ners shivering in the northeast wind,
but always seem busy and happy. And
on many a winter day, with the snow
have been swept for them to outlying
manure piles in the field, to which they
scutter with outspread wings and cheer
full clucks to spend hours in scratching
and then going back to their house to
lay and return in single file through
the snow.
They should be kept dry, but cold
does not hurt them. The roosting places
should be we'll ventilated, but free from
drafts. The birds should always
breathe pure air, however cold the win
ter. This is very important to their
health, and the stuffy, i'll ventilated
house will soon produce disease An
conaS need no coddling and are far bet
ter without it. Fresh air, day and night,
moderate feeding and protection from
wet is all they require, and with these
how mill 1ox CT oh inf
We are raising Anconas for their egg
production, as we cannot live on rib
'bons and medals alone; but, judging
from the following, we receive our
share of these:
yakima County Poultry Show, 1909
/ and 2 on cock; and on cockere1; I,
2, 8, 4 and on pullets; 1, and on
hem 1. 8, and on pen; on one dozen
largest eggs. Entered thirty birds, av
erage score, 81 1-6.
washington State Fair. 1eoa-1, 2, 8
and on pullets; 1 on cockerel; on pen.
A UNIQUE PUBLICATION.