We have been raising Ancona ducks
a very interesting duck... They are still rare, but definitely increasing in population. When I first got my starter flock, they were considered critically endangered. Glad to see they are "just rare" now!
Last year, they nested, but never sat their nests. This year, we had two who diligently sat their nests. The first clutch lasted all of about two days before succumbing to predator snack food.. The second clutch we duckling-napped and brought inside to raise, like we did for the starter flock.
Do not attempt this at home. Be wise, and prepare ahead of time with a heated brooder house outside. Ducks are stinky butts! Unlike chickens, unless you are there AS they hatch and do the imprinting thing, they aren't very prone to being happy to be petted. They like us, and follow us around, but they don't much care to be hugged. This makes it difficult sometimes!
Photos will follow as soon as I get the time to upload some! We are hopeful that this first generation of Wolfdancer Creek Farm ducks will be happy and produce lots of eggs that I can harvest without hiking through the fir-ry woods.
One nice thing about ducks and gardening. Here in slug country where the national bird is the banana slug, the ducks have decimated the population. There are few slugs about to harass my plants! GO DUCKS!
>^,,^<
