14 
HISTORY OF ANCONAS 
From the May, 1922, Official Report 
of R. K. Bliss, Director, Iowa State 
Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa, Poul¬ 
try Division, the following is taken: 
Between 240 and 250 Record Flocks 
of purebred poultry are registered, 
comprising Rhode Island Reds (both 
combs), Barred Plymouth Rocks, Wh'te 
Plymouth Rocks, Buff Plymouth Rocks, 
White Wyandottes, Buff Wyandottes, 
Silver Wyandottes, White Leghorns, 
Buff Leghorns, Brown Leghorns (both 
combs), White Orpingtons, Buff Orping¬ 
tons, Black Minorcas, and Anconas,—a 
total of 39,240 birds. As the number of 
fowls in each separate flock is record¬ 
ed, and the number of eggs laid each 
day, it is a simple matter to figure out 
the per cent of egg yield of each flock. 
Here are the figures: Twelve flocks 
averaged between 20% and 30%; thir¬ 
ty-four flocks averaged between 30% 
and 40%; eighty-four flocks averaged 
between 40% and 50%; seventy-three 
flocks averaged between 50% and 
00%,; thirty-five flocks averaged be¬ 
tween 60% and 70%; four flocks aver¬ 
aged between 70% and 80%,; and but 
one fiock averaged over 80% and that 
was a flock of Anconas, which reached 
the extremely high average of 89.9%, 
lacking but one-tenth of one per cent 
of reaching 90%. The lowest Ancona 
average in the several Ancona flocks 
was 62%. 
The following is an extract from the 
English Egg-Laying Contest, 1921-1922. 
held at Dodnash Priory Farm, Bentley, 
Suffolk, England, by the Utility Poul¬ 
try Society in conjunction with the 
Great Eastern Railway Company: For 
this month (June) the records show a 
further shrinkage in production,—the 
tally of eggs falling from 24,874 to 
22,395, a decrease of 2,479 eggs for the 
month. This decline was more pro¬ 
nounced amongst the White Leghorns, 
their average for the month falling 
from 18.43 eggs per b'rd to 15.62. All 
the other eight breeds, with the ex¬ 
ception of Anconas, also show more 
or less heavy declines. 
The S : xth Annual National Egg-Lay¬ 
ing Contest of Texas State Agr.'cu’tural 
College began November 1, 1922. At 
the end of five months (the last re¬ 
port received before this book went 
to press) the official record showed 
that White Leghorns produced 1.04 
eggs per pound of feed consumed; 
Rhode Island Reds produced 1.03 eggs 
per pound of feed consumed; Anconas 
produced 2.10 eggs per pound of feed 
consumed. 
The final report of the 1922 National 
Egg-Laying Contest shows that best 
Ancona hen and best Leghorn hen tied 
with 271 eggs each for the year. The 
average production of these two breeds 
for the year was almost identical— 
Anconas 193.28; Leghorns 193.5. The 
best laying strains of Leghorns in the 
World were in the Contest, from Eng¬ 
land’s famous strains, D. Tancred’s 
world renowned layers, and others. 
The Seventh Arkansas State Egg-- 
Laying Contest, conducted by the Col¬ 
lege of Agriculture, University of Ar¬ 
kansas, Fayetteville, Ark., began in No¬ 
vember, 1920. The first four months 
the pen of Anconas won over seventy 
other birds, and while only fifteen eggs 
ahead of the next highest pen (Barred 
Rocks), the Ancona eggs weighed 50)4 
ounces more than those produced by 
the Rocks. 
