Ancona Ducks

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This is my 10 week old duck, Chubby Checker. My goals for this year were to increase the size of my birds (my first hens were too petite) and to add breast markings. She's definitely a keeper! I have a batch of eggs in the incubator from a breeding group that I really thought out, so hopefully the improvements will keep coming.
 
hello everyone this i was wondering if anyone nows if these are anconas or a mix breed the owner i bought them from had no idea the mother was the size of a wild mallard and she is full grown so i wasnt sure if they were anconas or not they were born on june 24! oh and i was wondering if they are all black or tri colors?
 
I have searched and searched for them in Canada and only found one place but she is having problems with her incubator so I don't think the hatch was successfully. I'm trying to see if I can get some imported from.the states
 
wendeld said:
I have searched and searched for them in Canada and only found one place but she is having problems with her incubator so I don't think the hatch was successfully. I'm trying to see if I can get some imported from.the states
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The breeder that I use is Boondockers Farm in Beavercreek, Oregon. I know they ship to Canada, though I'm my sure if the last hatch has already happened.
 
We hatched! Six of the seven original eggs successfully hatched!! We are so excited!

Five of those six are healthy and thriving.
One, we named Skully. Somehow it had its scalp torn nearly completely off during the hatching process
sad.png
, and was being rejected by Mumma and siblings.
We pulled it out as soon as we knew and it actually appears to be doing OK now that my 15yo daughter is doctoring it. Its just a wait and see thing now.

Mumma duck is being very aggressive toward us if we get too close and has even bitten me hard enough to leave a mark and swing around a spell from my coat-tails!!
I would imagine this is quite normal, even though she was originally very accustomed to us humans and even thought she was married to my husband at one point. She has also been jumping at even the smallest of sparrows flying near her pen.
Unfortunately, I do see her getting a little nippy with the ducklings now too.....

idunno.gif
My questions are: (so many - please, feel free to help me with some or all...)
  1. Does this all sound like normal behavior?
  2. Do I allow it to continue as nature intends?
  3. I have the means to separate the ducklings from Mumma, so should I?
  4. If not, how can I go about getting Mumma to be OK with us coming to visit?
  5. If I separate, when can I re-introduce all of them?
  6. Once we have sexed everyone, I am betting I will need to keep the boys and girls separate so as to not over-breed?
  7. How long before I should worry about procreation between them?
  8. Any input on Skully and his/her wound?


Two black and whites, three light tones
Mumma duck: Chocolate
Dominant drake with the most access to her: Blue
2nd drake, which couldn't get a word in edgewise: Lilac or Lavender

I am excited the b&w's have GREAT coloring on their legs, feet and bills, and one has color coming all the way around to its chest.
I haven't gotten a close up look at any of them yet...
hmm.png




Skully and my Silver Labrador:



The 7th egg never fully developed.
 


Here is my mini-flock of Ancona ducks. My original stock was from Cackle Hatchery. I hatched out a lot of their eggs and sold ducklings. But I let my ducks free range. I thought they had the sense to stay in my yard. But one day I found nearly the whole flock--- and all my females--- dead about 1/4 mile down the road. They had been hit by a vehicle.

Not long after that a lady stopped me in the store and said she'd bought ducks from me but could no longer keep them, and did I want them back? I did, and so now I have my original stock back. They are now NOT ever allowed to free range, but are in pens that are somewhat portable, so they can get fresh grass from time to time. (I also feed them weeds when I weed the garden.)
 

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