Ancona Ducks

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Thank you for the pictures of the different Ancona colors. I have kept a trio of Anconas, a black drake, a chocolate duck and a lilac duck. I didn't know what color the lilac was until lately I realized she was a light brown instead of a gray. As for the other ducklings, can anyone PM me their favorite duck recipes?
Thanks again,
Angela
 
Came across this thread regarding Anconas: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-actually-a-cross-experts-weigh-in-please/20


Narragansett said:
I hate to break it to you, but all Ancona ducks are mutts, or at least are a relatively recent creation as a breed. The originator claimed for years that they were an old British breed, but there is not one shred of documentation which proves that they existed any time before they were first promoted in the US in the 1980s. Interestingly, the originator also bred Magpies, which throw a very high percentage of mismarked offspring which have little value. All of a sudden, so breed historians surmise, the originator now had a ready outlet to sell his mismarked Magpies, by claiming that they are another breed altogether. After observing a large number of Anconas, you will notice that the colored feathers do tend to be concentrated on the body in the same areas which they are on the Magpies, with obviously a lot more intrusion of white than would be allowable in a Magpie. There are a few working standards out there, but as they are not recognized by the American Poultry Association, no one can say that they are standard type.

They are a nice breed in their own right, now, but a little honesty on what they are and where they originated would be nice. The name chosen is kind of foolish. They do not resemble the correct pattern of the Ancona chicken, nor do they originate from the same town in Italy. Several other names for the breed are more appropriate, such as broken, pied or paint. Even Holstein would be more appropriate. At least they are variable in pattern, with no two the same, like the cattle of that breed.
Click to expand...

Not trying to stir anything up, I just want to know what others have to say about this claim that the Ancona isn't really a heritage breed. Anyone know anything or heard this before?
 
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That's the first time I've ever seen/heard anyone criticize the origins of the breed for sure. Holderread's Ancona bulletin (right in front of me) states "Little is known about the history of Ancona ducks. The only reference we have been able to locate is one photograph and a few sentences in a British poultry book found while doing a literature search at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York." Unfortunately the year is not mentioned.
 









This is 'Zorro' one of the four Ancona ducklings that I found at a local feed store this spring (unsure which hatchery they came from.) Despite having no markings on his beak and very lightly marked feet I'm thinking he's the best candidate for keeping with his good facial and breast marks. All four of them are boys unfortunately so I will have to choose one to keep. Does that sound reasonable to you other Ancona junkies? The other three have better marked feet, but only one other has good head markings, and all three have white chests.
 

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