Ancona ducks (and one goose) at Splendid Toad Art Farm 2010
There is one crested overmarked hen I keep in the flock – that’s Kateri and she’s here for life. She’s a great friend to any new birds, and a wonderful broody. I don’t want to pass her heavy markings or crest on to babies though, so I don’t send out or hatch her eggs. But she comes when you call her name.
“The Ancona is a hardy, adaptable, all-purpose duck. It is an excellent layer, typically laying 210-280 white, cream, or blue eggs yearly. The Ancona also grows relatively quickly, and produces high quality meat that is more flavorful and less fatty than that of most Pekin ducks. Anconas are well suited for situations where they can forage for some of their food and are capable of eating large “banana” slugs. “They make excellent pond or yard ducks since they tend to stay close to home, do not fly under normal conditions and are large enough so that they are less likely to be preyed upon by winged predators. Typically they have moderately calm temperaments and make fine pets.” (Holderread 2001, 52)
Blicket, a black Ancona duckling
Splendid Toad Art Farm has been home to a flock of Ancona ducks since 2010. They lay large, cream-colored or mint-green eggs. They keep the pond clear of algae, and happily devour flies, beetles, worms, and grubs. They will hatch eggs if given the opportunity to sit on the nest.
The Art Farm flock is composed of birds selected for temperament, health, nesting instinct, and laying ability. Naturally the hallmark of the Ancona is the splashy coloration, but the best-marked Ancona is no good if it has a poor temperament or fragile health.
Marlene and Mae on the nest and in no mood for shenanigans
As a flock they tend toward being mild-mannered. The birds don’t enjoy being picked up, but will tolerate being handled without panicking. New birds are accepted into the flock without drama, drakes usually get along, and there have been no human-aggressive drakes in the line. Of course, nesting mothers get a pass for being snappish.
black hen, lavender hen, and black day-old duckling
Anconas come in a variety of different colors – black, chocolate, blue, silver, lavender, lilac, and tricolor. Occasionally they also exhibit mallard, pencilled, blue fawn, or dusky coloration. Perhaps 1% of the time, one may hatch solid white. Ideal markings are asymmetrical, the wilder the better.
two black, two chocolate, one blue, and one lavender.
Eggs are nearly always for sale, for eating or hatching. Eating eggs are $5 per dozen and can be picked up locally. Hatching eggs are $3 apiece, minimum 6, and can be shipped for $10 per box. 20 eggs can fit in a box. I rinse each egg with warm water, dry them carefully, and wrap them individually in bubble wrap. They are shipped in a Priority Mail box. Fertility has been consistently well above 80%.
Adult birds are for sale from time to time, and ducklings a few times per year, picked up locally. Babies are ‘tentatively sexed’, which means I check them each a couple times and if a penis pops out it’s a boy for sure – that’s all I can guarantee. Sometimes I have stealth boys that don’t show their true sex until their voices change.
I am interested in ordering 8 ancona duck eggs for hatching. I have raised chickens and ducks before but never hatched them out myself. I am ordering an automatic turning style incubator today that will hold up to 8 duck eggs. When do you typically mail them out? I live in Calais, Vermont (just outside of Montpelier). Would it be possible to send them around the first week of April?
Thank you,
Kelly Dennison
Kelly, yes that should be great. 5/12 of my hens have begun laying (starting the last week of Feb) so by the end of the month they’ll all be in the swing of things for sure. I usually put in extras to guard against breakage, though I wrap them individually and seldom have a problem. I’ll email you privately – and thanks!
I would be interested in ordering a dozen eggs for hatching. I am putting my first batch in the incubator this week, so cannot try another batch until April 22nd or after. Could you email me and let me know if you would have eggs available then.
Thanks
Linda
I will have HEAPS of eggs
I’ll email you. What’s going into your incubator now?
Hi, we are interested in ancona hatching eggs and need a delivery date after April 22. We were wondering if eggs would be available and how the eggs would travel to Missouri (if you have shipped them over long distances).
Thank you
Lisa
Lisa I’ve got a pretty good method for packing and shipping via USPS Priority Mail. I’ve sent eggs from MA to OR with success, and lots of places in between
After Apr 22 is no problem. I ship a minimum of six @ $3 per egg, and ask $10 for shipping. I can fit as many as 20 in a box. I tend to put in extras. I ship on Mon/Tues so they don’t spend a weekend in transit. Do contact me when you’re ready – either through the site or directly by email, via kim at t o a d b r i a r. com 
So my wife and I are interested in acquiring some more Ancona ducks. We currently have two females, a black and a chocolate. We did have a blue but she was unfortunately killed by a predator last month. We are looking to not only replace her, but to add some more to our flock. I don’t have an incubator so I am curious what the price is for ducklings. If this is not available I can just as easily put one together quickly. I am also curious about the colors available. I would love a variety of colors but I am especially looking for a silver or blue drake. Please let me know. Thank you.
Hi Matt! I don’t ship live birds, but if you came to pick some up they’d be $8 for babies, and adults are variable. I’ve got blue, silver, lavender and lilac in my flock this year. One blue drake and three black ones, and several hens of each color. Lavender and lilac are just blue and silver over chocolate, instead of black. Blue is 1 copy of the blue gene, silver is 2 copies. So a silver or lilac bird will pass a blue gene to each offspring. I’m happy to sell eggs – nothing beats hatching Anconas, the suspense and excitement to see the colors and patterns is unmatched
But I might know someone who has a drake for sale, so I’m going to message you privately. Thanks!