Interesting Chicken Breeds

In the mid eighteen hundreds, the popular Ancona chicken was shipped to England out of the originating city of Ancona, Italy. It then made its way to America in the late eighteen hundreds.
In the mid eighteen hundreds, the popular Ancona chicken was shipped to England out of the originating city of Ancona, Italy. It then made its way to America in the late eighteen hundreds.


These busy little chickens are spangled color, coming from the co-mingling of the Original Mottled Leghorn to the Black Leghorn. Their greenish black feathers tipped with white and sometimes having a tint of purple, have come from the Black Leghorn chicken. From both, perhaps, come the yellow featherless legs and toes spread just far enough apart. And Earlobes? Yes, chickens have them and this chicken shows its in white. Italy originated the this kind of in reds, browns, and white, which is where the copper tinge on the neck feathers could be from.

On top of the head of the hen, will be found a single floppy comb with the rooster sporting a very straight and tall one. A second variety is the rose colored comb. Their sharp eyesight from the bay colored eyes and its coloring, aids it in staying away from the bad guys!

There are Red Australian types, Bantam and many large and smaller kinds. They are pretty common. The Australian variety is red with white specks on the neck area feathers.


As they all age and moult (lose their feathers, to be replaced) the white on the tips becomes larger, a good way to tell how old the bird is. At about four and a half pounds, the hen weighs lighter than the six pound rooster. Living around eight years, being kept as a pet, as well as an egg producer, would be OK.

About once a day during the laying season, the Ancona will produce one egg, totaling one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty a year. Occasionally tinted eggs will show up. As the hens eat, the food they consume changes to egg production in a very satisfactory manner. This should please the owner!

When they do choose to sit a clutch of eggs, the hens can grow a nice little batch of chickies that are durable and strong. The babies, if taken from the hen and cared for by hand, can become quite happy little pets. Teach them tricks and to come when called and they and the owner will be pleased!

Housing is not difficult for the chickens if the owner keeps in mind a few things: the females are active and love to get around, they like wide open spaces and they are not adversely affected by winter weather. The rooster is happy to just walk around so he could care less if he were in a smaller enclosure! The chicken coop (house) itself is for keeping the chickens, hen and rooster, safe from the bad guys and the weather off from them! Nest boxes would be in there also. The owner can keep the "pet" chicken closer to them if desired!


Online there is a game of war and magic that uses the Ancona chicken as a friendly pet. The pet wont fight their battles but can be summoned at will, to follow them around as the warrior chooses! Why don't chickens care for humans? Because they beat their eggs!! (snort, guffaw, chuckle).

Their eggs are few and small but the Buttercup hen is a dependable layer. All experts do not agree, however, about this breed as a pet. Some experts recommend it as a pet because of its curiosity and friendliness.
The buttercup chicken, also known as the Sicilian Buttercup, was developed in the 1800's in Sicily. It is reported that one female and one male were imported to the US later in that century and today's line remain the direct descendants of the original couple. This line of chicken is rare, beautiful and exhibition worthy, a life-long layer and a pretty good pet.

It is a good layer although the eggs are reportedly small in size and few in number. There seems to be some controversy, however, surrounding the topic of keeping the Sicilian buttercup chicken as a pet. Some experts claim it makes a good pet because it can be very friendly and curious.

Some experts agree that while this type of chicken is somewhat friendly, it is quite active and flies well; therefore, it prefers its independence. A third group of experts offer that this breed goes out of its way to avoid human contact. They concur, however that a baby chick can be trained to enjoy human contact.

Chicks seem to be limited in numbers but are available from several hatcheries which can be accessed online. Experts and owners agree that males tend to be friendlier than females. Generally, the breed does not like to be confined and will enjoy human company when provided with a warm habitat and outdoor areas to roam and fly.

A warm coop will protect this bird's unique comb from frostbite and the comb is very sensitive to cold. It is specifically because of its unique crown-like shaped comb and its golden-toned feathers that the breed has acquired its name.

Its golden feathers and stunning crown make the buttercup chicken an attractive bird and therefore renders it as a definite prize-winner at exhibitions. The variety was admitted to the "American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection" in 1918. The hen has lovely brown spots or "spangles" in long rows running along golden or amber colored feathers. The males sport dark green tails and their feathers range from dark orange to golden-red spotted with black "spangles".

It is stated that the hens will mature early and start laying when they are 5 months old. The hens are not very productive but will lay an average of 2 eggs per week for their entire life. Again, there seems to be some controversy amongst experts regarding the appearance of the eggs as well. Some claim that they are white and lean toward the small size. Others claim that the eggs have a tint or hew to them.

It might seem odd, to some, think of chickens as pets. Granted, even the name, chicken, tickles the funny bone and many people will find the thought of it funny. However, chickens are a good choice as a pet if they are given adequate living quarters and sufficient area outdoors where they can fly, lay in the sun, walk, peck and scratch. They are definitely not the sort to be confined indoors.

Some Buttercup chicken can be very engaging and they are, as a breed, very entertaining. The odd few might be willing learn to sit in one's lap. When hand-raised from newborn chicks, they will learn how to respond to their name, eat out of one's hand and even allow themselves to be cuddled or stroked. Like any pet, chickens respond well to rewards of food and positive reinforcement.

A Buttercup chicken can become a fun and intriguing pet when raised in a warm, clean environment. Since they lay only two eggs weekly, depending on this breed as a source of food wouldn't be the wisest choice. As a pet, however, a buttercup chicken is gorgeous and intriguing to look at, entertaining, great company and certainly makes for an unique conversation piece.