Australian Spotted Ducklings

[Duck Drover]

Messica, I looked all over for AS ducklings now that Holderread doesn't carry them any more. I finally found someone in Florida who sells eggs and I bought an incubator and have had them for about a week. So far, so good, although I wasn't crazy about trying to hatch eggs. However, it's the only way I could find them. Don't know if I'll end up with ducklings or not but I hope so. Meanwhile, my plan was to keep an eye on this thread in case someone else pops up and to see what Duck Drover ends up doing. As I told him, I understand anyone's hesitance to ship ducklings.

I am a her, lol!

I am more inclined to sell eggs to someone with a successful hatch to their credit to help diversify genetics in a breeding flock than someone who has not hatched them before because they don't hatch well for everyone, depending on their hatching methods. So many people follow guidelines for hatching that work for one person in a particular climate but not for someone else in a different climate.

I have only used the cheap Little Giant incubators so they are what I know. We built a cabinet incubator out of an oak cabinet but I have not tested it yet since my LG incubators are not filled yet (we just set eggs at the beginning of the month to run test hatches for the season).

I figure it is better to hatch the ducklings and sell them locally than to sell eggs that I can't guarantee. It is too easy for buyers to blame sellers for their errors so I have to protect my reputation from other people's mistakes.

I get people asking for duck eggs all the time but I have to be selective about who I sell them to when they have not hatched ducklings before. Once you have the ducks, they are such good mothers that you will get ducklings one way or another! Lol.

 

[buff goose guy]

Just to pick your brain buff goose guy, I saw in your sig line that you don't support 4-H. I'm contemplating letting my kids join this year and haven't heard anything negative about it thus far, do you have other perspective you'd care to share?

Yes i do, the system for waterfowl is corrupted in my area. Back when i was 13 i tried out the 4-h system and no one there cared for waterfowl so i was the only one so the 4-h show comes around i show my high show quality pure bred birds, and this other kid shows a mixed bred duck thats central body is off and its head shape does not meet show quality standard. its feet are pale orange/ yellow. Anyway the mixed bred duck was a pretty color , but as i mentioned did not show quality standards. needless to say my pure bred birds, that i bought as showman quality and referring to the storey's guide to raising ducks they were showman quality, lost to a mixed bred duck and bringing it up to the head people whatever they said that waterfowl dont matter the ducks colors were pretty than yours , and when the owner admitted to it being mixed bred they said that they didnt care it was prettier and thats what won it the show thingy.


So if your showing chickens or other livestock yes go for it im sure its a great experience, but if u go into it wanting to show waterfowl i would steer clear of it and just go for showing on state and national levels.

 

[EllenInWis]

Sorry about that, Miss Drover! Lol. Well, I got 14 eggs and a little, cheapy incubator. As of one week, I candled them and two were dead so I now have 12. I'm trying hard to follow all the instructions for hatching and I'm hopeful of getting at least some duckies out of this. I'll post when the 28 days are up and report my success. If worse comes to worse, Messica in MN and I in Wisconsin will have to drive out to your place and pick up ducks. (Kidding.) (I think.)

 

[EllenInWis]

Messica, if you're looking for a poultry breeder, I've had good luck with Purely Poultry in Wisconsin. They don't have Australian Spotted ducklings, though.

 

[Messica]

Yes i do, the system for waterfowl is corrupted in my area. Back when i was 13 i tried out the 4-h system and no one there cared for waterfowl so i was the only one so the 4-h show comes around i show my high show quality pure bred birds, and this other kid shows a mixed bred duck thats central body is off and its head shape does not meet show quality standard. its feet are pale orange/ yellow. Anyway the mixed bred duck was a pretty color , but as i mentioned did not show quality standards. needless to say my pure bred birds, that i bought as showman quality and referring to the storey's guide to raising ducks they were showman quality, lost to a mixed bred duck and bringing it up to the head people whatever they said that waterfowl dont matter the ducks colors were pretty than yours , and when the owner admitted to it being mixed bred they said that they didnt care it was prettier and thats what won it the show thingy.


So if your showing chickens or other livestock yes go for it im sure its a great experience, but if u go into it wanting to show waterfowl i would steer clear of it and just go for showing on state and national levels.

Ugh, that sounds awful. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you

Lots of kids show waterfowl where we're at. Events are separated into showmanship and best of breed type judging from what I've heard. Mixed breeds can only be entered into showmanship events. I'll definitely look into showing on state levels though. I'm not sure my kids can participate in that yet though.

 

[Messica]

I am a her, lol!

I am more inclined to sell eggs to someone with a successful hatch to their credit to help diversify genetics in a breeding flock than someone who has not hatched them before because they don't hatch well for everyone, depending on their hatching methods. So many people follow guidelines for hatching that work for one person in a particular climate but not for someone else in a different climate.

I have only used the cheap Little Giant incubators so they are what I know. We built a cabinet incubator out of an oak cabinet but I have not tested it yet since my LG incubators are not filled yet (we just set eggs at the beginning of the month to run test hatches for the season).

I figure it is better to hatch the ducklings and sell them locally than to sell eggs that I can't guarantee. It is too easy for buyers to blame sellers for their errors so I have to protect my reputation from other people's mistakes.

I get people asking for duck eggs all the time but I have to be selective about who I sell them to when they have not hatched ducklings before. Once you have the ducks, they are such good mothers that you will get ducklings one way or another! Lol.

I'm so sorry!

I'm definitely not interested in breeding, and even less interested in hatching any out. Just wanting to diversify my small backyard flock. The breed ticks off everything I'm looking for and would work well with my existing flock. I'm hoping to eventually come across some breeder's "breed standard rejects" if at all possible, but would take any at this point. Perhaps raise awareness of their dwindling populations and raise further interest. Maybe down the line if they do well here and I become more invested in what I discover about the breed I'd take it further, but that's quite a ways down the road for me.

 

[Messica]

Sorry about that, Miss Drover! Lol. Well, I got 14 eggs and a little, cheapy incubator. As of one week, I candled them and two were dead so I now have 12. I'm trying hard to follow all the instructions for hatching and I'm hopeful of getting at least some duckies out of this. I'll post when the 28 days are up and report my success. If worse comes to worse, Messica in MN and I in Wisconsin will have to drive out to your place and pick up ducks. (Kidding.) (I think.)

You're braver than I am! I've helped deliver plenty of livestock so I'm not sure what about *eggs* is so intimidating to me..... Maybe it's the level of perfection needed? I'm just fairly certain I'd screw it up. OK I probably wouldn't, but the confidence just isn't there and the anxiety would drive me bonkers lol. I hope it all goes well for you and you end up with the rest to spoil!

The only other breed I'm considering is Welsh Harlequins for my son. He says Silver Appleyard's but I think the WH would be a better fit. We're still "discussing." Thankfully my daughter is committed to her chickens.

On another note, why the heck are Australian Spotted's only listed as "study" as far as heritage breeds go?? I have easily located breeders of all the others, white the one of least concern is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!!!

 

[Duck Drover]

The Australian Spotted duck has a breed standard but it is not officially recognized yet. My understanding is that they need to go through an exhibition phase first. Dave Holderread encouraged us to show them when we met him in Oregon (I have driven down for ducks several times) but we also have chickens and I don't want to risk picking up chicken diseases. My daughter is a bit old at 16 to join 4-H now and she has too many other things she is doing so our hope is for other people to work on that goal. We have been trying to make them more accessible and promote them but basically we have focused on starting breeding flocks rather than exhibiting them.

 

[Messica]

Ellen! I found a WI breeder!!!

She is listed on the Livestock Conservancy breeder list and requires pick up at her farm, but that isn't but 3ish hours from me (and probably even closer to you) so I'm totally going to make it work. Her kids have shown them in 4H and she has an absolutely stunning flock. If you'd like I can ask her who else she is willing to part with - or you could probably just look her up yourself on LC. She was INCREDIBLY nice. I can't wait to make the trip and meet them all

 

[Messica]

The Australian Spotted duck has a breed standard but it is not officially recognized yet. My understanding is that they need to go through an exhibition phase first. Dave Holderread encouraged us to show them when we met him in Oregon (I have driven down for ducks several times) but we also have chickens and I don't want to risk picking up chicken diseases. My daughter is a bit old at 16 to join 4-H now and she has too many other things she is doing so our hope is for other people to work on that goal. We have been trying to make them more accessible and promote them but basically we have focused on starting breeding flocks rather than exhibiting them.

4H goes up through age 18 and looks great on college applications

We live rurally and smack dab in the middle of farm country. Most kids here take it straight on through the summer of their graduating year. We're actually the oddballs for never having done it before lol