Ancona Ducks

[crystaldegallina]

toadbriar: What did you end up doing with the all-white ducks from your first hatch? Did you cull them or use any of them for breeding?

 

[toadbriar]

A coyote got one white hen, and the other two got re-homed to a pet flock. I started over with all new birds (and also with fencing!) after that debacle and would not breed a white bird.

I currently have two very light hens - they are both lilac and have scattered wing markings but more substantial pigment on their backs. If you overlook their bills and their wings are folded, they can look white just walking around, though.

 

[ChristineR]

Thanks, he's actually a very rusty blue. He'll pass on some breast marking, and I am trying to select towards a more substantial bird than some of mine have been (with dual function in mind) so these boys are selected for a bit more bulk this time around. I've been working on my flock for a couple years, my foundation birds originally came from a flock in ND and a few birds from Cackle.

Oh, OK. He looks chocolate. It's so hard to accurately see color in photos. Whatever his color, he's pretty.

 

[Fernleaf]

All this talk of genetics and breeding qualities is fascinating for someone who aspires to do the same, thanks everyone so much for sharing your insights and reasoning.

I do have a question, prompted by ChickenCrazy's comment about the eye color..

Another trait mentioned in Holderread's packet is the 'serious fault' of weighing 1 pound below or above the 'average' of 6 pounds for an adult duck and 6.5 pounds for an adult drake. I don't currently have any way to weigh my birds but plan to before I start breeding them, is this something that the serious breeders are doing or is it falling more to the wayside in favor of color/pattern and other traits? I only ask because I don't think I've seen it explicitly mentioned in this thread, but I have seen a few posts referencing trying to get bulkier males.

 

[toadbriar]

All this talk of genetics and breeding qualities is fascinating for someone who aspires to do the same, thanks everyone so much for sharing your insights and reasoning.

I do have a question, prompted by ChickenCrazy's comment about the eye color..

Another trait mentioned in Holderread's packet is the 'serious fault' of weighing 1 pound below or above the 'average' of 6 pounds for an adult duck and 6.5 pounds for an adult drake. I don't currently have any way to weigh my birds but plan to before I start breeding them, is this something that the serious breeders are doing or is it falling more to the wayside in favor of color/pattern and other traits? I only ask because I don't think I've seen it explicitly mentioned in this thread, but I have seen a few posts referencing trying to get bulkier males.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DS81J8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A24DV7X9AF5F1B

digital hanging scale, as used for weighing fish or luggage. Tare bag or pillowcase, add duck.

I'm trying to even out my birds' sizes - all of them, not just the boys. But the boys are my vehicle for doing so, since whatever their qualities are, they are 50% of the next generation. Each hen brings traits to only her own offspring, but the drakes contribute to all of them.

If I'm going to eat them I'd rather they fall on the larger size than the smaller. I think choosing for color and pattern are what got mine a bit shrimpier than I like, in the first place. That's fine. I got nice color and nice temperament from the smaller guys. The bigger guy gave me some nice bulky daughters, but he was culled because his mating finesse was non-existent and he had all the girls running and screaming all the time. Nevertheless, his daughters mated with the sweet-tempered boys, and now I've got some sweet-tempered larger guys.

Ultimately it's up to each individual breeder. And each breeder is in a process of learning and experimenting and noodling around with pet theories that may or may not pan out. If I feel constrained by weight range requirements, do I grit my teeth and cull for smaller birds, or do I breed to the bird that I want, and take the hit of people not buying my birds because they're oversize to the standard? Whichever one decides, I can see justifications for their decision. Just so long as they're honest and up-front about it.

And I could get faster results with mating groups instead of a mixed flock. I know this. But if I had, say, 3 groups, each group could only go on the pond 1 day in 3. And I don't want to do that to them, so I don't.

 

[apronann]

I have a pair of Ancona's and the hen is still laying reliably. She is outperforming my chickens. The eggs have been non fertile lately. I bought some hatching eggs and today I have two freshly hatched ducklings and three more pipped and rocking. I hope to get a strong flock going, and I wanted to diversify my breeding pool because the two I have are sibs. I also wanted to lighten up their markings- Mine run to dark spots, so got eggs from a flock that runs to light. One of the babies has really cute markings on it's beak. Can't wait till they dry off and I can get a good look at them!


The other duck is a Welsh Harlequin. I'm going ot need to separate her from the flock at some point, which I'm sure will make her very sad.

 

[apronann]

I've been browsing previous posts. Is the white breast a dominant trait? it seems as if it is not desirable. Also, blue eyes? My ducks eyes seem black to me, not brown, but bear in mind I'm an amatuer and I only became an Ancona owner by accident. I think the bill and feet markings mine have are desireable . I'm going to order Holderreads Ancona pamphlet, but I'd appreciate your feedback.

 

[ChristineR]

All this talk of genetics and breeding qualities is fascinating for someone who aspires to do the same, thanks everyone so much for sharing your insights and reasoning.

I do have a question, prompted by ChickenCrazy's comment about the eye color..

Another trait mentioned in Holderread's packet is the 'serious fault' of weighing 1 pound below or above the 'average' of 6 pounds for an adult duck and 6.5 pounds for an adult drake. I don't currently have any way to weigh my birds but plan to before I start breeding them, is this something that the serious breeders are doing or is it falling more to the wayside in favor of color/pattern and other traits? I only ask because I don't think I've seen it explicitly mentioned in this thread, but I have seen a few posts referencing trying to get bulkier males.

I think being on target for weight is just as important as any of the other breed traits. You want the Ancona to be a dual-purpose bird (eggs and meat). They aren't going to be large like a Saxony or Silver Appleyard, but you want some meat on their bones. I think it's important to keep that trait in the breed, even if you don't plan on eating them yourself.

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

I've been browsing previous posts. Is the white breast a dominant trait? it seems as if it is not desirable. Also, blue eyes? My ducks eyes seem black to me, not brown, but bear in mind I'm an amatuer and I only became an Ancona owner by accident. I think the bill and feet markings mine have are desireable . I'm going to order Holderreads Ancona pamphlet, but I'd appreciate your feedback.

The white breast is very much a dominate trait and difficult to get rid of. The ideal Ancona should have marking on their breast. Correct eye color should be blue (kind of a blue gray color). Black, Brown or any other color eye would not be desirable if breeding towards a standard.

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

Just got the first Ancona egg yesterday and again today! The lights are starting to do their thing in the duck house. Now the early morning egg checks will begin.