New to Ancona ducks

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Tolbunt

Tolbunt

Chirping
5 Years
Mar 18, 2015
107
6
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Hello, I need some help with Ancona ducks. My mom bought me some Ancona duck eggs and they just began to hatch yesterday and today. The breeder we got the eggs from said that they might be sex linked. Can you even do that with ducks? Also what age do they need to be in order to sex them? Will they also require different feed from my other chickens? Also will they need a pool to swim in?

Thank you
 
Tolbunt said:
Hello, I need some help with Ancona ducks. My mom bought me some Ancona duck eggs and they just began to hatch yesterday and today. The breeder we got the eggs from said that they might be sex linked. Can you even do that with ducks? Also what age do they need to be in order to sex them? Will they also require different feed from my other chickens? Also will they need a pool to swim in?

Thank you
Click to expand...

@Tolbunt This is all I could find on sex linked Ancona's
Chocolate is a sex-linked recessive trait. If a chocolate drake mates with a black duck, all female offspring will be chocolate, while all male offspring will be black. A black drake mated to a chocolate duck produces all black offspring. Only male offspring will carry the sex-linked recessive chocolate gene. (Holderread)

Info on caring for your ducklings.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711
 
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I have 6 Anconas. I would recommend having a kiddie pool at least some them to bathe in. Also, I would recommend a duck feed for them such as Mazuri Waterfowl or Purina Game Bird Chow. Ducks are messier than chickens Can you post pics of your ducklings please? I have runners, Anconas and Cayugas.
 
Your best bet on sexing them is waiting until they get their quack, maybe around 6 weeks or so. A female will have a loud strong quack and a male will be quieter and raspy. When they become sexually mature around 20-24 weeks the male will have 1-3 tail feathers that curl up. They can be sexed by checking their vent but that can hurt/kill the ducklings if you are not experienced.


See the duck to the right? His tail feathers are curled up. I borrowed this picture from https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/duckling-care-brooder-ideas Check it out. It's all about raising ancona's! Good luck!
 
Tolbunt said:
Hello, I need some help with Ancona ducks. My mom bought me some Ancona duck eggs and they just began to hatch yesterday and today. The breeder we got the eggs from said that they might be sex linked. Can you even do that with ducks? Also what age do they need to be in order to sex them? Will they also require different feed from my other chickens? Also will they need a pool to swim in?



Thank you
Click to expand...

I usually can sex them simply by the shape of there tails as there big boy feathers are coming in. You can vent sex them at any age but must know what you are doing because you could hurt them.. I have duck and chickens they all get the same stuff. If you have a tractor supply in your area they sell a feed called All Flock. With ducks you have to watch the protein count and the calcium count should be less then 3%. To much protein can cause angel wing, Ducks need water in order to clean out their nostrils, a pool is recommended. Also keep from letting them have swimming lessons until they are at least one week old, they have to produce there own oils that protect them and help keep them afloat otherwise there little baby fur will act like a sponge and could weigh them down.
 
You should also keep the chickens separated from the ducks unless they are free rangers, the reason why ducks tend to play or get messy in water, you end up with wet chickens if they are confined together this can cause your chickens to get cold fast and sick.
 
Miss Lydia said:
@Tolbunt This is all I could find on sex linked Ancona's
Chocolate is a sex-linked recessive trait. If a chocolate drake mates with a black duck, all female offspring will be chocolate, while all male offspring will be black. A black drake mated to a chocolate duck produces all black offspring. Only male offspring will carry the sex-linked recessive chocolate gene. (Holderread)

Info on caring for your ducklings.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711
Click to expand...
The breeder said that she had one female that was chocolate and the Drake and the other females were black. However I got a lot of chocolates and some blacks.
Lacrystol said:
I usually can sex them simply by the shape of there tails as there big boy feathers are coming in. You can vent sex them at any age but must know what you are doing because you could hurt them.. I have duck and chickens they all get the same stuff. If you have a tractor supply in your area they sell a feed called All Flock. With ducks you have to watch the protein count and the calcium count should be less then 3%. To much protein can cause angel wing, Ducks need water in order to clean out their nostrils, a pool is recommended. Also keep from letting them have swimming lessons until they are at least one week old, they have to produce there own oils that protect them and help keep them afloat otherwise there little baby fur will act like a sponge and could weigh them down.
Click to expand...
What is angel wing? I couldn't feed the ducks Purina layer pellets and sport fish feed or some fermented seeds?
tomynoks said:
I have 6 Anconas. I would recommend having a kiddie pool at least some them to bathe in. Also, I would recommend a duck feed for them such as Mazuri Waterfowl or Purina Game Bird Chow. Ducks are messier than chickens Can you post pics of your ducklings please? I have runners, Anconas and Cayugas.
Click to expand...
How are Cayugas for laying? I might be looking for some Cayugas soon would you know anyone that might be selling eggs? What are their egg color? I hear they lay black- dark gray eggs.
 
Tolbunt said:
The breeder said that she had one female that was chocolate and the Drake and the other females were black. However I got a lot of chocolates and some blacks.
What is angel wing? I couldn't feed the ducks Purina layer pellets and sport fish feed or some fermented seeds?
How are Cayugas for laying? I might be looking for some Cayugas soon would you know anyone that might be selling eggs? What are their egg color? I hear they lay black- dark gray eggs.
Click to expand...
Ducklings cannot eat pellets and should not be fed layer it has way too much calcium. they need either chick starter or an all flock crumble or of course water fowl feed If you don't feed them the right food at the beginning they can have serious problems and if you are using chicken feed they also need extra B3 in the form of plain niacin tablets crushed and added to their water daily till 10 weeks old or Nutritional yeast or Brewers yeast add to their feed daily till 10 weeks old Be sure not to use brewers yeast from making beer or Baking yeast.and once you decide which of the B's you'll use let us know we'll give you directions
 
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