Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-03-14
ANCONA EXHIBITS.
% the Editor of the Free Press

One Of the best features OF the poultry
show recently held in st. Adams. was
the exhibition Of the Ancona fowls. for
the first time in the history of the show.
II means many thousands OF dollars to
the people of this country, when the
worth Of this fowl has become generally
known.
For years. the farmers of New England
have been looking FOR II fowl that would
not eat their heads or In cold wealth
er nor set all the spring and half Of tho
summer. They will find what they ar.
looking for In the Ancona fowl.
They were introduced into England,
where as early as 1852. as appears from
table In the English Agricultural Ga
2ctte, four hens of this breed produced
N Il months, 928 eggs, an average OF 232
eggs for each hen, a record that sur
PASSES nearly all OF the present day
records Of other varieties. They we're in
troduced into this country about 1890 and
have defeated all their competitors the
| strongest OF which Is the famous Leg
horn. who IS match for them in the
summer when eggs are cheap but curl
Up in winter when eggs are high, while
the Ancona keep right on. singing
scratching and laying paying no atten-
ton to her frosted comb, and con4uminz
Il per cent less food than the Leghorn
| They were introduced into this sect or
OF the country by me and l have put
| them to a very severe test
| In an open front hen house. with moth.
ing but some straw to keep them OF the
frozen ground, placed II Ancona pullets
six months old In another pen Will
conditions the same. | placed nine Col
umban Wyandotes, seven months old
and six I.irh. Brahma pullets nine month
| old. and ,tort tabs on them for the -four
weeks IN February, with the following
| results:
Eleven Anconas laid 157 eggs and con-
aumed sl.2S worth Of feed. Cost Of pro
duct!on.oas cents per dozen
Fifteen Brahmas and Wyandottes laid
=; eggs, and consumed s243 worth Of
feed. Cost of production. S.26s per doz
! en-.
When the race was on three weeks. one
Ancon1 died, leaving 1c Anconas to race
IS Brahmas and Wyandottes. FOR another
| four week. with the following results;
Ten Anconas laid $50 eggs and consumet
} tl9S worth of feed. Cost OF production
I rs il cents per dozen.
| Fifteen Brahmas and Wyandottes la il
! 202 eggs and consumed s2T worth Of
feed Cost of production, IL cents pei
dozen.
Over the eight weeks course, the An
conas produced 337 eggs at a cost of g
cents per dozen
The Brahm and Wyandottes produced
| s5 eggs at a cost Of &c and 1-2 cents pc,
| dozen.
The market price of eggs was so much
! higher in February than In March tina,
| the average price Of Ancona eggs was
! 27 IA cents per dozen. The BrahmA and
I Wyandotte esgs averaged % 1-2 cents
per dozen. The Anconas produced their
eggs at profit OF over 200 per cent.
while the Brahmas and Wyandottes pro-
duced their eggs at a loss Of over 10 per
| cent
The test was made for no other pur.
pose than 10 find the cost of PRODUCING
one dozen eggs, but the result Is very
Significant.
1t shows that there is no need Of egg.
beinA 80 and G" cents per dozen every
winter 1t shows, also. that even at ths'
| price. the farmer cannot afford to raise
them as long as their farms are stocked
with the popular birds Of the show room
1t shows also. that they can he sold al
"A handsome profit for one-half that price
when their farms are stocked with An.
coma fowls.
O. A. MARTIN.
| Derry New IJanvshira