Chickens : Ancona , Holland ,Sussex, Leghorns

Ancona

Originating near Acona, Italy, this breed is black with white-tipped feathers. They are a smaller chicken that lays about five small, white eggs per week. This breed can be flighty. This trait combined with their darker color helps them avoid predators.

Holland

This often-overlooked breed has a high productivity of medium, white eggs. This breed does well in all climates, even extreme cold. However, their single comb might become frostbitten in the winter. As a calm and hardy breed that forages well, these birds are able to adapt to virtually any surrounding. They are known to be quiet, friendly, and calm chickens, and hens of this breed seldom become broody.

Sussex

These birds, which originated in Sussex County, England, are also known as Speckled Sussex in America. They are plump birds, available in white, silver, red, brown buff, and speckled. Avoid exposing this bird to excessive sunlight because their coats have a tendency to become brassy. The speckled variety gets more speckled with each molting, making it an attractive bird.

Sussex chickens have a single comb and a clean leg. They are a heavy breed weighing about 9 pounds for the male and 7 pounds for the female. The bantam variety is about 4 pounds. The earlobes and eyes are both red, and their skin is white. They are proficient egg layers, laying 240 to 260 eggs per year. They are also plump enough for meat. Their eggs are large and cream to light-brown color.

Because they are alert, curious, and docile, these chickens make great pets. They can be free-range or penned. This hearty breed will lay eggs even in the coldest part of the season, which is not typical in all breeds.

Leghorns

In America, the colors of the Leghorn range from white, black, red, Columbian (mostly white body with a black tail or black wing tips on tail), partridge (black stripes meeting at the middle of the feather then moving outward), brown, silver partridge, and black-tailed red with white skin.

Their combs are large and can be single or rose, which means almost flat on top and fleshy with small, round protuberances. They have red eyes and a clean leg. White earlobes are a trait of the Leghorn that indicates a good egg layer. Hens will produce about 200 white eggs each year.

Roosters are somewhat aggressive, and the breed in general can be excitable and noisy. Leghorns like to take flight. Ideally, they need large, tall coops that allow movement but which are secure. It is also a good idea to have trees with branches for the birds to perch on, as this will help satisfy their desire to fly. The bantams are calmer than their larger counterparts. The rooster weighs typically 6 pounds and the hen 4 ½ pounds. Bantams of this variety weigh about 1 pound.