I just bought Ancona Duck eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[awesomefowl]

yay! My dad isn't so psyched though....

So does anybody have any tips on hatching and raising ducklings? I can't wait!!!!!!!!!

I'm think of vent sexing at hatch time, and butchering the excess drakes. I don't want too many ducks (meaning duck plural, not the females), since I'm going to keep them with the chickens. Any tips?
Thanks!

 

[awesomefowl]

How big are anconas, BTW?

 

[toadbriar]

Congrats!!! I love my Anconas!! They're a medium size duck, maybe 7-8 lbs. Larger than calls, smaller than pekins

Can you get a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks? It will be your most useful reference. Incubator at 99.5F, humidity 60%, lockdown at 25 days and then jack the humidity up to, I think, 80% til hatch. Turn the eggs 3x a day til lockdown. Opinions vary on hatching them upright or on their sides. (I like on their sides but I'm just a noob) Take the babies out when they're dry and stick em in a brooder with a hot spot of 95F and places to get away from the heat too. Feed em starter crumbles and water them with a container with a lid only big enough for their heads to dip in, or they'll make a horrific mess and get soaked and chilled. There is a LOT of info here on the site - I gave you a real rough basic outline. Search ducks on the incubation & hatching forum above and you'll be reading for days...and get Storey's Guide!

 

[awesomefowl]

I have read SGTR Ducks twice. It is a great book! I will probably buy it.

 

[StevenW.]

these r my anconas!!

 

[awesomefowl]

Quote:
They're cute! I absolutly can't wait for my eggs!

 

[StevenW.]

thankz!! awesomefowl

 

[toadbriar]

here are mine - waiting is hard, it helps to have pics to look at!

 

[StevenW.]

toadbriar your anconas r gorgeous!!

..

 

[toadbriar]

thank you, so are yours!! I especially love the blotchy spots on the front left guy - drake is he? And the 'bikini top' the one on the right has! Are you hatching from these guys? Maybe we can swap eggs in the spring?