Ancona
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
The Ancona's mottling increases with each moult — hens become more attractively speckled as they age, unlike most breeds where plumage quality declines.
A lively Mediterranean laying breed from the Marche region of Italy, named after the coastal city of Ancona. The Ancona is recognised by its striking mottled black plumage with distinctive white V-shaped tips on each feather, giving it a speckled, beetle-green sheen in sunlight. An excellent forager and reliable white-egg layer, it is hardy, self-sufficient, and alert — qualities prized long before commercial breeds existed.
🏷️ Breed
Ancona
💭 Temperament
Active, alert, flighty, independent, hardy
📏 Size
Medium (2.3-2.7 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
Black mottled with white tips; beetle-green iridescence
🌍 Origin
Italy — Marche region (Ancona), 19th century
🏠 Habitat
Free-range preferred; thrives in open runs
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets; excellent forager — supplements diet with insects and greens
🎯 Purpose
Egg
🥚 Egg Colour
White
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl