Ancona Ducks

[Coyote Night]

Anyone in the missouri area looking for pairs? I'm not shipping them but I have two young pairs for sale. Local pickup in Butler, MO

 

[HouseMouseHens]

Here are my new babies, Fig a chocolate drake (the one in the front center) and his ladies: a blue, black and a color we're not sure of, possibly just a light chocolate or pencilled. The girls are so far unnamed.

And their first time outside today with thier big sisters, a welsh harlequin and a Kahki Campbell.

 

[AuroraSprings]

Congrats! I see one chocolate, one black, and two tricolors. The blue will likely end up a fairy fawn type color. The tris are so pretty to watch grow up.

 

[nicasioeggs]

Wow those are all nice looking ducklings !! I just. Sopped turning my 14 in the bator today ....day 25 !! I've always used a broody chicken so I'm a bit nervous about this bunch , but hopefully they will all be as darling as the babies on here !!

 

[nicasioeggs]

On a side note, one duckling did hatch under a broody chicken a week ago, and came out with a bruised little beak ! Puffy and bruised. Ever happen to anyone before ? Must have had a hard time getting through the shell .

 

[nicasioeggs]

My first batch over a year ago ....

Then last summer .....

Can't wait for this weekends batch !!!

 

[HouseMouseHens]

Congrats! I see one chocolate, one black, and two tricolors. The blue will likely end up a fairy fawn type color. The tris are so pretty to watch grow up.

The chocolate is the one all the way in the front center in the first picture right? So the other two are tri-color? I couldn't tell, as this is my first time with Anconas..
I actually just vent sexed them successfully today and ended up with three boys(the black being the only girl) so I wont be able to keep them all. Sad, I love them already!

 

[nicasioeggs]

Is vent sexing pretty accurate ? I have someone who wants to come and select four females from my next hatch .....he says he can vent sex them. It won't injur the ducklings will it ? Thanks

 

[HouseMouseHens]

Is vent sexing pretty accurate ? I have someone who wants to come and select four females from my next hatch .....he says he can vent sex them. It won't injur the ducklings will it ? Thanks

I am REALLY new to it, but from what I read/hear if you know what you are doing it's pretty accurate. When I sexed ours the first time I thought we only had one boy, but upon a bit more research I did it again and we have three very VERY obvious boys. I think it it's less accurate for girls, since it could just be a "shy" boy or you could be doing it wrong.
If done correctly it doesn't hurt them. That said I'm not sure I would want a stranger whom I have no idea what he knows od experience he has come in an sex my ducklings just because there is the chance he does it wrong and ends up hurting one.

But take all this with a grain of salt. I'm a total newbie.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

Is vent sexing pretty accurate ? I have someone who wants to come and select four females from my next hatch .....he says he can vent sex them. It won't injur the ducklings will it ? Thanks

I wouldn't just let some random person come and vent sex my birds. No way. You can definitely injure the ducklings if you are not careful when you vent sex.

We vent sex our Ancona ducklings. We have a 90% accuracy rate so far - not too shabby!