Ancona chicken
Italian chicken breed refined in the UK, now at risk.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Ancona chicken is an Italian breed, taking its name from the city and province of Ancona in the Marche region. Although its origins are Italian, the breed was developed into its modern form largely in the United Kingdom during the 1800s. By 2025, its global conservation status was listed as "at risk," with just over 800 birds reported worldwide—most of them in Australia. A bantam version also exists.
This breed comes from central Italy, where it was once the most widespread chicken. In 1851, some birds were sent to England, where breeders worked to make the white markings on the feathers more regular and consistent. A breeder named Cobb exhibited a group in 1880. Birds were later exported from Britain to the United States in 1888. The rose-combed variety was first shown in Birmingham, England, in 1910. The American Poultry Association recognized the single-combed Ancona in 1898 and the rose-combed version in 1914.
The Ancona is a typical Mediterranean chicken: hardy, active, and lively. It roams widely and can take flight easily. Its plumage is black with white mottling—about one feather in three has a white V-shaped tip. All primary flight feathers, sickles, and tail feathers should have white tips, and the black feathers may show a beetle-green sheen. In Italy, a blue mottled with white variety is accepted for full-sized birds but not for bantams. Australia recognizes a red variety with a chestnut to red-bay ground color. The legs are yellow with black mottling, the beak is yellow with some black on the upper mandible, and the eyes are orange-red. Skin is yellow, and ear-lobes are white or cream. The comb is medium-sized with five distinct points; in hens, it falls gracefully to one side. In the UK and US, but not Italy, a rose comb is also allowed. Cocks weigh 2.5 to 2.8 kg, hens 1.8 to 2.1 kg. Ring sizes are 18 mm for cocks and 16 mm for hens in full-sized birds, and 13 mm and 11 mm for bantams.
The Ancona is a good layer, producing about 220 white eggs per year, each weighing 50 grams or more. Hens rarely go broody, and pullets may start laying at five months old.
- origin
- Italy (named after Ancona, Marche)
- developed
- United Kingdom, 19th century
- conservation_status
- At risk (2025)
- known_for
- Good layer of white eggs, mottled black-and-white plumage
- weight_cock
- 2.5–2.8 kg
- weight_hen
- 1.8–2.1 kg
- egg_production
- ~220 white eggs per year
Lore & Background
The Ancona originated in central Italy, where it was the breed of chicken with the widest distribution. Some birds were exported in 1851 to England, where they were selectively bred for regularity and consistency of the white markings in the plumage. In 1880 a breeder named Cobb showed a group. Some were exported from Britain to the United States in 1888. Rose-combed Ancona chickens were first shown in Birmingham, in the West Midlands, in 1910.
Reader's Guide
The Ancona chicken represents a notable example of how a regional Italian breed was transformed through selective breeding in the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century. Its name derives from the city and province of Ancona, but its present type was largely established in Britain, where breeders focused on standardizing the white mottling in the plumage. The breed's conservation status in 2025 was 'at risk', with only about 800 birds reported worldwide, most in Australia. In Italy numbers are very low; an initiative to re-establish the breed in its native area and to preserve its biodiversity was launched in 2000. The Ancona is a typical Mediterranean chicken—rustic, lively, and hardy—and is a good layer of white eggs, averaging 220 per year. Its plumage is black mottled with white, with approximately one feather in three having a v-shaped white marking at the tip. The breed's significance lies in its dual heritage: Italian origin and British refinement, and in the ongoing conservation efforts to prevent its extinction.
Did You Know?
- The Ancona was named after the city and province of Ancona in the Marche region of Italy.
- It was bred to its present type mainly in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century.
- In 2025 its conservation status was 'at risk', with few more than 800 birds reported, most in Australia.
- The single-combed Ancona was recognised by the American Poultry Association in 1898.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ancona chicken?
The Ancona chicken is an Italian breed named after the city of Ancona in the Marche region. It is recognized for its striking mottled black-and-white plumage and its reliable production of white eggs.
Where did the Ancona chicken originate and how was it developed?
The breed traces its roots to central Italy, where it was once the most widespread chicken in the area. In 1851, some birds were sent to England, and UK breeders then spent the rest of the 19th century refining the white feather markings into the modern standard.
What does an Ancona chicken look like?
The breed is instantly identifiable by its mottled black-and-white feather pattern, a trait that British breeders carefully perfected during the 1800s. A smaller bantam version of the breed is also recognized.
Is the Ancona chicken endangered?
As of 2025 the breed carries an 'at risk' conservation status, with just over 800 birds reported worldwide. The overwhelming majority of those surviving birds are kept in Australia.
How big is an Ancona chicken and what does it lay?
Cocks typically weigh between 2.5 and 2.8 kg, while hens come in at roughly 1.8 to 2.1 kg. The breed is well known as a good layer of white eggs, which is one of its most valued practical traits.
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