The Ancona duck originated within the 1910s, but stays a uncommon breed that has by no means been listed within the American Customary of Perfection. Cackle Hatchery® is one among its few long-term breeders, having maintained Ancona genetics since 1977.

Bodily Attributes

Anconas are usually white and black, or any mixture of white and colour, in irregular splotches. This breed is exclusive amongst geese for having mottled plumage with no particular sample. In different phrases, no two are alike. On this regard, the Ancona has been in comparison with a Holstein cow that quacks.

On common, the Ancona’s plumage is about three-quarters white and one-quarter black, though colour will increase with age. The neck, nevertheless, normally stays stable white.

Cackle Hatchery’s Ancona geese are most frequently white and black, though an occasional particular person could have chocolate markings. Chocolate outcomes from a recessive sex-link trait handed down solely by drakes.

A black drake mated to a black hen leads to largely black offspring, though just a few could also be chocolate. A black drake mated to a chocolate hen additionally leads to largely black offspring, though once more some could also be chocolate.

A chocolate drake mated to a black hen leads to all black males and all chocolate females. So you’ll be able to simply decide which ducklings are male and that are feminine on the time of hatch. To get 100% chocolate offspring requires mating a chocolate drake to a chocolate hen.

Breed Qualities

Anconas are dual-purpose egg-and-meat geese. They’re probably the greatest layers amongst geese, producing 210 to 280 giant eggs per yr. The shell colours are simply as fascinating because the geese themselves — the shells could also be white, ivory, blue-green, or speckled.

Ancona hens have a tendency to not brood, and after they do they’re solely truthful moms. A critical breeder may due to this fact want to put money into an incubator.

As meat birds, Anconas have a stocky construct and a speedy charge of progress, being prepared for harvest in simply 7 to eight weeks. Their lean meat is much less fatty than that of a Pekin, but Anconas (with largely white feathers) should not way more tough to pluck. Hens develop to 7 kilos, drakes to eight kilos.

The Ancona is a superb forager that particularly relishes pesky slugs, but additionally readily chows down on bugs and worms, and weeds and seeds. This duck is just too heavy to fly, making it’s simple to restrict. And its hefty weight deters flying predators, making it a sensible choice at no cost ranging. With its exceptionally calm disposition, the Ancona duck additionally makes an excellent pet.

Useful Hyperlinks

And that’s right this moment’s information from the Cackle Coop.

Gail Damerow is the creator of An Absolute Newbie’s Information to Elevating Yard Geese : Breeds, Feeding, Housing and Care, Eggs and Meat.