Waterfowl

[LehighCounty4-H]

pm'd you

 

[learycow]

Sure!! Can you tell what is what at hatch? I'd be willing to pay a bit more to try to get what I want

Most of them I can tell at hatch due to the down color.
Ripples are a bit more difficult since there is no distinction until they start to feather. But I will likely keep the ripples separate from the pied and barred that way i know for sure which are rippled

 

[RandomePerson]

Im a duck guy and i will take 3 of each color of the ancona ducks i would like ducklings but it doesnt matter please send me a price for all of those. I dont have anconas yet and hopefully if i get 3 unsexed ducklings i will atleast get a pair and an extra male and if im lucky a trio. If anybody wants any old english bantams i will have some babies soon. They are going to be so tiny i will sell the chicks for 10$ a peice or 17$ a pair thanks.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Most of them I can tell at hatch due to the down color. 
Ripples are a bit more difficult since there is no distinction until they start to feather. But I will likely keep the ripples separate from the pied and barred that way i know for sure which are rippled

Bam!! tPerfect!! Will probably pay you in advance for a certain number of birds and shipping..getting tax check and that's the easiest way to make sure I have the money lol!

 

[learycow]

Bam!! tPerfect!! Will probably pay you in advance for a certain number of birds and shipping..getting tax check and that's the easiest way to make sure I have the money lol!

I don't take payment until they hatching starts and I know I am able to fill your order. Easier to keep track that way Then there are no "IOUs"

 

[RandomePerson]

Never seen a person specialize in ancona ducks.I got some magpies from a guy but coyotes got them. They were my favorite duck breed and i would like to get something simiIar. I could start a big project with these because their are so many different color mutations. Do you sell them by color or in mixed groups?

 

[learycow]

Never seen a person specialize in ancona ducks.I got some magpies from a guy but coyotes got them. They were my favorite duck breed and i would like to get something simiIar. I could start a big project with these because their are so many different color mutations. Do you sell them by color or in mixed groups?

There are quite a few good (and bad) breeders of ancona ducks

I have a flock of blacks (show quality) that I separate a few times a year. And a flock of black, blue, silver, lilac, chocolate and lavenders. I have managed to breed out solid whites and am working on eliminating tricolors

 

[MonTXChickens]

What is wrong with or about tricolors? Can you post a picture of one? What makes an Ancona show quality? Lots of questions... I get why you wouldn't want a white Ancona because at least part of their appeal is their interesting colors. I am not sure why on the tricolor though.

 

[learycow]

What is wrong with or about tricolors? Can you post a picture of one? What makes an Ancona show quality? Lots of questions... I get why you wouldn't want a white Ancona because at least part of their appeal is their interesting colors. I am not sure why on the tricolor though.

Tricolors don't display the "typical" ancona pattern. Asymmetrical markings in a patchey/spotted pattern. They are more solid in color and can easily be mistaken for poor quality runners as they can look very similar to fawn and white runners.

Funny you ask for pics. I don't have many because I rarely hang onto them long enough for them to feather! But here are a few:

Top/middle duckling is a penciled tricolor (black base). Notice the facial mask rather than spotting just under the eyes


Top left is a penciled tricolor drake. Facial mask, near solid colored body rather than spots/speckling/patches of color


Lots in this box, lol. Far left and right are chocolate tricolors (and theres a third hiding in the back. You can see the eye and part of the head). And the second one from the left is a blue tricolor.
In this pic you can see the duckling at the very bottom also looks quite solid colored, but would not be considered a tricolor as it doesn't have the typical tricolor facial mask. So this would just be a heavily marked blue

 

[MonTXChickens]

Thank you for the pictures and explanation. So to help me understand, with Anconas, the more broken the pattern is the more desirable the duck is and the more correct it is? Also to be clear on my part, Tri-color does not indicate 3 colors but the solid patterning that you describe above especially the face mask? From my uniformed perspective, that is a pretty box of ducks in that last picture. If I had received that, I would not have known that there was something less desirable. But when I look at the grown ducks, I can definitely see that I have a preference to the ones that have less solid markings. What is a good grown size/weight for these ducks and what is considered small/large? I understand that these ducks do not fly but can they fly over fences and can they fly away from threats? Are they better confined or do they need a lot of room?