Ancona Ducks

[toadbriar]

they're already getting duck-shaped! I'll never get used to how fast they grow.

 

[learycow]

Celtic- where did you get your eggs (or breeding stock) from originally?
I would love to see pictures of your newest ancona babies

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have ducks from Thistle Down, a farm in NC, another farm in SC as well as Worth it Farms too. Have to dump and clean the brooder so will get pictures before i given them the eco brooders back, otherwise they spend most the time under them. Almost forgot we have a few from CyoteNights as well. My current three favorites come from three different hatches as well

 

[ChristineR]

I really like my Anconas from Kristy at Worth It Farms (AuroraSprings). http://worthitfarms.jigsy.com/ancona-colors

I also like Coyote Night Acre's Anconas. http://coyotenightacres.weebly.com/ancona-ducks.html

 

[LissyB]

I want Aconas so bad!

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

I really like my Anconas from Kristy at Worth It Farms (AuroraSprings). http://worthitfarms.jigsy.com/ancona-colors

I also like Coyote Night Acre's Anconas. http://coyotenightacres.weebly.com/ancona-ducks.html

Thanks for the shout out Christine. We are working very hard and i'm excited about the direction our flock is going. This year we hatched out ducks like crazy and kept only a few very stunning individuals. We parted ways with some of our older stock (great breeder quality birds but not what I would consider show quality) and I plan to start taking these guys to shows in the next couple of years. We brought in a beautiful Silver hen (sadly she was the only one worthy of our breeding flock out of the silvers) a blue drake, a lavender drake, a couple of outstanding chocolate hens, and a stunning black drake.

 

[ChristineR]

Thanks for the shout out Christine. We are working very hard and i'm excited about the direction our flock is going. This year we hatched out ducks like crazy and kept only a few very stunning individuals. We parted ways with some of our older stock (great breeder quality birds but not what I would consider show quality) and I plan to start taking these guys to shows in the next couple of years. We brought in a beautiful Silver hen (sadly she was the only one worthy of our breeding flock out of the silvers) a blue drake, a lavender drake, a couple of outstanding chocolate hens, and a stunning black drake.

No problem! I really like your ducks. Your hard work shows.

 

[BackYardQuacker]

That's a really good way to think of the colors. The lavender and lilac are "warm" colors and the blue and silver are "cool" colors.


Yes, Holderread's Ancona pamphlet is definitely worth getting if you want to breed Anconas.

Hello- I have 4 Ancona ducks....long (wonderful) story, but I now have several questions. First one being: Where can I get this pamphlet of Holderread's on Anconas?

I bought 4 Anconas this spring, 2 male, 2 female, already laying. Of course after 2 weeks of gathering the eggs they then hid the nest....suffice to say I ended up with 24 (!) precious ducklings!! It was just luck...no incubator...just the warm mamas. Adorable. But truly, I just got the ducks so I would have eggs to eat. Hahaha.

Anyway, got rid of the 2 original drakes, sold all the ducklings except 2, and now wouldn't ya know it...the ducklings I kept are drakes.

The ducklings hatched in mid-June, and the females have never laid another egg. Is that OK?

Also, is it OK if the new drakes breed with their mamas? Yikes. I obviously have no idea what I'm doing, and I can't find the answers to these questions....I have Storey's book, and I have the Resilient Gardener.

I just bought a water-warmer so their drinking water won't freeze. I live in the northwest mountains of North Carolina.

Thank you so much for any and all info....my ducks are wonderful!!!

 

[ChristineR]

Hello- I have 4 Ancona ducks....long (wonderful) story, but I now have several questions. First one being: Where can I get this pamphlet of Holderread's on Anconas?

I bought 4 Anconas this spring, 2 male, 2 female, already laying. Of course after 2 weeks of gathering the eggs they then hid the nest....suffice to say I ended up with 24 (!) precious ducklings!! It was just luck...no incubator...just the warm mamas. Adorable. But truly, I just got the ducks so I would have eggs to eat. Hahaha.

Anyway, got rid of the 2 original drakes, sold all the ducklings except 2, and now wouldn't ya know it...the ducklings I kept are drakes.

The ducklings hatched in mid-June, and the females have never laid another egg. Is that OK?

Also, is it OK if the new drakes breed with their mamas? Yikes. I obviously have no idea what I'm doing, and I can't find the answers to these questions....I have Storey's book, and I have the Resilient Gardener.

I just bought a water-warmer so their drinking water won't freeze. I live in the northwest mountains of North Carolina.

Thank you so much for any and all info....my ducks are wonderful!!!

You can get the pamphlet directly from Holderread's website: http://holderreadfarm.com/literature_page/literature.htm

As far as breeding mother and son...I don't like to do it, just because you're increasing your chances of getting undersirable traits or defects (you're also increasing the chances of keeping any desirable traits they both have, which is why people do it). I recently read a really good, simple explanation of the genetics behind it. It uses siblings marrying as an example, but you get the idea.

http://eccentricscientist.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/why-shouldnt-you-marry-your-sister/

And wow! 24 surprise ducklings!

 

[harriedhomemaker]

Hello- I have 4 Ancona ducks....long (wonderful) story, but I now have several questions. First one being: Where can I get this pamphlet of Holderread's on Anconas?

I bought 4 Anconas this spring, 2 male, 2 female, already laying. Of course after 2 weeks of gathering the eggs they then hid the nest....suffice to say I ended up with 24 (!) precious ducklings!! It was just luck...no incubator...just the warm mamas. Adorable. But truly, I just got the ducks so I would have eggs to eat. Hahaha.

Anyway, got rid of the 2 original drakes, sold all the ducklings except 2, and now wouldn't ya know it...the ducklings I kept are drakes.

The ducklings hatched in mid-June, and the females have never laid another egg. Is that OK?

Also, is it OK if the new drakes breed with their mamas? Yikes. I obviously have no idea what I'm doing, and I can't find the answers to these questions....I have Storey's book, and I have the Resilient Gardener.

I just bought a water-warmer so their drinking water won't freeze. I live in the northwest mountains of North Carolina.

Thank you so much for any and all info....my ducks are wonderful!!!

I first learned about Anconas in The Resilient Gardener and I had to have them! I have Storey's Guide to Ducks as well as Holderread's Ancona pamphlet.

As far as breeding, you might find this article helpful: http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/6/6-2/breeding_the_home_flock.html It references chickens, but it works just as well for ducks. Brother-sister matings are worse than parent-child. I am setting up three breeding pens for the spring and will follow the rolling mating system described in the article. At some point I will probably transition into spiral mating, but I'm still working on setting color and patterning.