Duck Breed Focus - Hook Bill

[mcdermottm]

???

Gray

Zach...i sent you a message.

 

[apricotvalleywf]

It is a rather complicated situation but we will be selling ducklings again some day, that's a guarantee. Just not in the near future. We will divulge more as time comes.

We appreciate you looking to support us!!




So bummed that you aren't selling ducklings from now on. I was willing to drive up there to pick some up when I got the message that you will only be selling adults in the fall from here on out. I was really hoping to add to my little flock.[/QUOTE]

 

[apricotvalleywf]

Perhaps I can weight in with some information.

They are definitely not a calm breed such as the WH. They are smaller than WH and with that seem to inherit more of the wild mallard demeanor. They can fly up to 6-7 feet in the air if they wish to. They are perfectly content staying in their pens, drakes breed very well and hatchability is fairly good as well. They are lovely birds and would definitely recommend them.

 

[DonnaSueL]

Can they be housed with Welch Harlequin, runners,and khaki camble or do they need there own housing

 

[Isaac 0]

I wouldn't see why they couldn't be housed with other ducks.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

1. Do you own Hook Bills? Yes!

2. What made you decide to get this breed? I was intrigued by their head shape and I absolutely fell in love with their curved bills.

3. Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose? I own a small flock that I currently use for just eggs as I've been working on diversifying my flock, but this spring I'm planning on hatching Hookbills. My goal is not to just breed for conservation, but for quality over quantity. I plan to work towards the European standard of the breed and my focus will be on breeding for correctness in small hatches that I hope to one day be able to offer to the public.

4. What are your favorite characteristics about this breed? Their bill shape and looks may have been what won me over originally, but they are also extremely smart and all have such different personalities. Definitely my favorite breed by far!

 

[Isaac 0]

Do you have any pictures @AstroDuck ?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Do you have any pictures @AstroDuck ?

I just added some!

 

[Isaac 0]

They're Gorgeous!

 

[333113]

I have a small flock of Hookbills. My sister gave them to me a couple years back when she downsized her flock, along with the rest of her runners. I still have runners, too. I acquired a few more Hookbills from another breeder, too.

I have showed the Hookbills; since they are not a recognized breed with a standard, they show under the category, "All Other Breeds of Duck."

This summer's hatch, all from the incubator, so far, includes three from Blair Jantz, nine from my snowies (or, I thought they were snowies, but not all the ducklings are snowies), and one gray, or gray mix, from a gray drake and a dusky hen, hatched in August.

Here are the three month old ducklings playing in the side barnyard earlier today:

And the gray mix with his little sibling pal (he was a solo hatcher):

I have a mix of colors, and I am still trying to figure out the connection between the kippenjungle calculator and the duck colors.

I have been steadily selling Hookbill hatching eggs on poultryshowcentral.com, and I have a waiting list of 28 people right now. Blair and I exchanged hatching eggs by mail, and that's how I have three ducklings from her.

I do find that when they hatch their own, the Hookbill parents (and siblings) are more proactive than I expected in helping the hatchlings get out of their eggs. I have one pair setting now, and another pair is accumulating eggs and setting up the nest.