I ANCONA 



I CHARACTERISTICS 



^A^HILE it is well to know the Origin and History of a breed of fowls 

 '' and good to have birds that are pleasing to the eye, yet none of these 

 things are sufficient to recommend a breed to a poultryman's favor. 



If you might be interested in taking up Anconas you want to know 

 what they are and what they will do, and this chapter treats on these 

 subjects. 



( 1 . ) Anconas are pre-eminently an egg breed, and this is their first and 

 greatest Virtue. The profit in the poultry business is in eggs. If you 

 wish to go into the meat business you don't want fowls, as it is more profit- 

 able to produce meat on four-legged animals than it is on two-legged ones. 

 Were it not for the money in eggs the poultry business would be a dead 

 one. 



Anconas begin laying at an early age, — pullets often laying when but 

 sixteen weeks old. And they lay persistently all winter and through the 

 summer, except dunng the moult. And they will repeat the performance 

 during the second and third years, and even four year old hens lay better 

 than do yearUngs of most other breeds. As a consequence it is not nec- 

 essary to replace your flock with young stock every year or two. 



Don't believe that Anconas excel as layers just because I say so. It 

 isn't safe to be guided by the unsupported opinion of any one. But con- 

 sider why Anconas put themselves in the front rank of poultrydom without 

 being exploited, and why the breed is conceeded by all poultry authorities 

 to be an excellent egg breed, then read the scores of testimonials of ex- 

 perienced practical poultry men and women (see chapter farther over in 

 this book) who have spent years breeding Anconas alongside of other breeds. 

 ALL of this testimony should have some weight, and is as good evidence as 

 I can present. The only thing left for you to do is tomake a practical 

 demonstration yourself, which after all is the final test. Get a pen of An- 

 conas and subject them to the test, compare them to any other breed you 

 may, keep an accurate account of what they eat and what they return, and 

 I am confident you will confirm all the good things said about Anconas in 

 this book. 



(2.) Ancona fowls are small eaters. Five Anconas will thrive on the 

 amount of food necessary to sustain three fowls of the heavy American, 

 Asiatic, or English breeds. Figure out what this means in profits, on a 

 flock of fowls in these times of high priced feed! 



Anconas being such prolific layers and small eaters they produce eggs 

 at the least cost per dozen of any known breed. 



IS 



