Ancona Ducks

[m.kitchengirl]

Temperament counts for a LOT IMO so I'm delighted he's a sweetheart.

Me, too.

Poppy, my black duck, has a spot of chocolate lacing on her head. It is only a few feathers, but has been getting larger with each set of new feathers.
I ordered the Ancona breed book from Holderead last night (and a WH & Cayuga, just in case).

I was offered a pair of either Toulouse or Sebastapol geese for next spring, and also ordered those breed books to get help make my decision. Any advice from you folks?​

 

[toadbriar]

m.kitchengirl :

Poppy, my black duck, has a spot of chocolate lacing on her head. It is only a few feathers, but has been getting larger with each set of new feathers.
I ordered the Ancona breed book from Holderead last night (and a WH & Cayuga, just in case).

I was offered a pair of either Toulouse or Sebastapol geese for next spring, and also ordered those breed books to get help make my decision. Any advice from you folks?

can you get a pic of Poppy's noggin? I'm very curious!

Are they production Toulouse or the dewlap exhibition ones? I dunno that I'd pass up a pair of dewlaps, but the production ones are pretty ubiquitous. Sebbies are neat, they're little and calm. They're undergoing quite a surge in popularity lately. Apparently there's a wide range of feather quality. I do wonder how they manage with waterproofing and keeping warm? I didn't look at them very closely cos I wanted a larger breed myself. There's a lot of very knowledgeable sebbiefolk in the gooseforum tho. ---sure you don't want Buffs?

And getting back to Ancona color oddities...

Here is my lavender drake's back with 'tricolor' feather:

Here's my blue drake with same:

And for Steven, here's the glamorous night pen, with expansion in progress (my hardware cloth roll is on backorder

)
(note surprise husband cameo!)

in the daytime they're mooching around on the pond:

and no, the goat hasn't fallen through. Yet.​

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
can you get a pic of Poppy's noggin? I'm very curious!

Are they production Toulouse or the dewlap exhibition ones? I dunno that I'd pass up a pair of dewlaps, but the production ones are pretty ubiquitous. Sebbies are neat, they're little and calm. They're undergoing quite a surge in popularity lately. Apparently there's a wide range of feather quality. I do wonder how they manage with waterproofing and keeping warm? I didn't look at them very closely cos I wanted a larger breed myself. There's a lot of very knowledgeable sebbiefolk in the gooseforum tho. ---sure you don't want Buffs?

And getting back to Ancona color oddities...

Here is my lavender drake's back with 'tricolor' feather:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6533345275_2e7697b137.jpg

Here's my blue drake with same:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6533345073_b66ffded82.jpg

And for Steven, here's the glamorous night pen, with expansion in progress (my hardware cloth roll is on backorder

)
(note surprise husband cameo!)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6533344867_cc19d96b42_b.jpg

in the daytime they're mooching around on the pond:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6533349939_b4d52f00dc_z.jpg

and no, the goat hasn't fallen through. Yet.

That pond has to be pretty frozen to hold your goat.

 

[StevenW.]

Oooo! A floatin Goat! Spooky!

Do you break the ice on the pond for the ducks and geese, Kim?

 

[toadbriar]

Quote:
Yes they get to splash around over on the left just out of frame, where a creek feeds into it. If we break the ice daily it doesn't get as thick overnight as the spot where Ursula Goat is walking. Mind you it's only knee-deep right there near the shore, she is after dropped apples and in no danger!

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Kim - these are a few photos of Poppy's little spot.
I am assuming it shows she is split to chocolate or something...?
I am sure a lot of folks would "cull" her for it, but I'll just try to use her eggs for baking & not hatching. I need to get another girl or two since Fern is such a giant meanie to Miss Poppy since she got all hormonal.
I may order from Boondockers farm, hoping I can find someone to split the order, but if not I will probably get 10 & donate some to the farm camp my friend runs.

 

[toadbriar]

It reminds me of Kateri's spot, it's too small to tell but it might be a mallard colored patch like hers. (Pencilled?) I am quite curious about how it shows up among the black, which is one of the reasons I've kept her in the flock. It's different from tricolor, which seems to be a form of dilution that leaves patches of non-dilute color. I wonder if there's a patchy version of extended black, which leaves base color patches to show through as well.

 

[AuroraSprings]

Quote:
The book does talk about blacks having "brown" lacing (I'm assuming it could be the chocolate or the buff gene) sometimes and to steer away from it. But, I can't remember exactly where it is, so I can't quote it.

 

[toadbriar]

Finally got a photo of Kateri's spot - I don't think it's what would be called lacing?

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

Looks like some buff

Holderread says both penciling and buff can pop up in ancona ducks