Nantahala Farm & Garden
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I no longer sell Ancona duck eggs. If you sell Ancona ducks or eggs, contact me and I'll add you to this list. You can find people with ducks or hatching eggs here:
The Livestock Conservancy: Rare Breeds
The Livestock Conservancy: Ancona Duck
Ancona Duck Breeders Association
Ancona Ducks- ISO and Where to Find
Heritage Ancona Ducks- Facebook: Follows Dave Holderread's breeding guidelines. See “Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks”. This is a non-APA (American Poultry Association) Ancona group. There is no APA-accepted standard for the Ancona. We strive to preserve the original "Holderread" lines. We do not agree with the proposed standard. It would require culling Anconas which have any plumage colors other than black and white, and culling Anconas which lay any egg color other than white. Decreasing the gene pool and genetic diversity in an already-rare breed is a recipe for a disastrous decrease in health and vigor.
Ancona Ducks- Facebook: Wants American Poultry Association breed standardization of only black/white feathers with white eggs. Anconas have many varieties. Each color is a separate variety. The same holds true for all breeds of poultry. Many breeds having many varieties accepted by the APA. Each variety is a separate project and has to be admitted individually. Tri-color Ancona ducks will not be allowed.
North American Duck Alliance, na.anconaduckalliance@gmail.com

Worth It Farms: Ancona Ducks for Sale, Atlanta, Georgia, WorthItFarms@gmail.com
Victoria Couch in North Carolina, victoriacouch77@gmail.com
Mary Z. Ruby, The Ruby Roost, Marshall, North Carolina, mzruby@msn.com
Junifer Johnson, Lance-a-lot Ducks, York, Nebraska, lancealot.ducks@gmail.com
Jackie Mobley, Five Pine Farm, Green Mountain, North Carolina, jmob873@gmail.com
Sofia Bent, Logsden, Oregon, chickenduckpalace@gmail.com
Delaney McMaster, Taylors, South Carolina, dgmcmaster@hotmail.com
Audrey Geier, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, audrey.geier@gmail.com
Emily Rothrock, Louisburg, North Carolina, emily.l.rothrock@gmail.com
Ana Nelson, Dade City, Florida, www.vitoriafarms.com, 352-769-2869, vitoriafarms@gmail.com
Michelle Jones, Western North Carolina, duckandpepperfarm.com, 910-262-0395, ancona@duckandpepperfarm.com
Angie Cordray, Ancona Acres, Missouri, yardroc@grm.net
Jennifer Miller, Fredon Township, New Jersey, millerfarm7@gmail.com. Flock is NPIP H5/H7 AI clean.
Cindy Loos, Weiser, Idaho, 208-549-3928, toadilycreative@msn.com. Hen raised ducks. Excellent mothers.

Breeding stock: Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lavender, Lilac, Silver, TriColor
Ancona Duck Hatching Eggs
Ancona Ducks #1
Ancona Ducks #2
Ancona Ducks #3
Ancona Ducks #4
Ancona Duck Colors: Part 1
Ancona Duck Colors: Part 2
David Holderread, Ancona Breeder
About Green & Blue Duck Eggs

Feed Comfrey to Poultry
Shipping Hatching Eggs
Types of Incubators
Make A Poultry Incubator
How to Incubate Eggs
Duck Eggs Hatched by Chickens
Duck Eggs Hatched by a Goose
How to Help Hatching Babies
How to Brood Poultry

Ancona Ducks: A Rare Heritage Breed
A critically endangered species. Great foragers, calm, fun.

"I cannot even put into words how excited I am to hatch these ducks!" -Ashley, Newberg, Oregon




Ancona Ducks: A Great Pet

Help support this rare breed. Ducks are a lot of fun.

Children and adults enjoy incubating eggs. Very educational and exciting.

Every duckling (and duck) looks different so it is easy to identify each individual in your flock of birds.

The photo of the single Ancona duckling is from Alec in Dallas, Pennsylvania.

"These are the cutest and prettiest ducklings I've had the pleasure of hatching so thank you for your great service and your beautiful Ancona ducks." -Ken, Spirit Lake, Idaho

"They Hatched! Five out of the six eggs hatched which is more than I thought I would get. My Cochin chicken is being just the best mom. I am so happy. I thank you for the great eggs and careful packaging. My wait is over and my joy is full. I would like to thank you for all the good information on your web site about these ducks. It has been a great help to me being a first time duck owner." -Martha, Westminster, Maryland





Help An Endangered Species

According to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC): "There is a critical need for more conservation breeders of Ancona ducks. Their excellent laying ability, tasty meat, and calm dispositions make them a great addition to any small farmstead or backyard producer's flock." Be part of the preservation of an endangered species.

These 2 duckling photos are from Lynn Ann in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. She wrote: "We ended up hatching a total of 7 ducks. 4 that are a good split of black and yellow and 3 that are more yellow with splashes of color (2 look black and 1 looks brown). I love that since they are all so distinctly different, my girls were able to give them names."

The third photo is a 4-month-old male duck. Notice his curled tail that only males have.

"I'd never thought of ducks for egg production, but am fascinated by the Ancona breed and definitely interested in helping to preserve genetics of the heritage breeds. We have a very large (25 acres) natural spring fed pond, so the ducks would be in heaven :^)" -Anne, Newport, Washington

"My husband Brad and I came out to your farm and purchased duck eggs. Raising them has been a sheer delight. Most evenings, rather than sitting around the TV, my entire family will go down to the pond to watch the ducks. It has been awesome witnessing their individual personalities develop.

As a group, they are fascinating! They come when they are called. They love salad greens, and they prefer to be close to people. They seem to take turns showing off for us either by running away really fast and then running back, or by hopping and jumping. It is work taking caring of them but nothing compared to the joy we get from keeping company with the ducks!!"
-Bry, Asheville, North Carolina




Fresh, Fertilized Duck Eggs for You to Hatch

You can email before ordering to see if I have them available. Or you can pay now, and I will email you when I can ship your eggs.

"Eggs have arrived! Wonderful packaging, everyone safe and sound. I kind of feel like I'm having a 4th child. I was able to candle them and mark their air sacs, I had read a lot online about rolling air sacs, but they all seemed pretty stable, and I could clearly see the yolk. Much easier than my practice with refrigerated chicken eggs! I will let them rest today, and put them in the incubator in the morning. I am so excited. 28 days will seem like forever! Thanks again, and I will keep in touch." -Jill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The photo with the duckling under a mamma hen is from Cynthia at Elderflower Farm in Talent, Oregon. Yes, chickens can hatch duck eggs!

A nice video of Ancona duck eggs being put under a broody hen from Kristi in Bluffdale, Utah. Her hen is a Silver Lace Wyandotte. At first the hen does not want to be disturbed, then she sweetly tucks the eggs under her. The video is 2 minutes, 46 seconds. The end is the best.





Ducks Love Water!

They don't have to have a pool, pond or stream but they are happier and healthier with it. They love to bathe and splash water everywhere. They are fun to watch.

The photo of the ducklings in the pink pool is from Roger in Sellersville, Pennsylvania.

The kiddie pool photo is from Tim and Jane in Kentucky. The ducks outside the pool are 6 weeks old. The ducklings in the pool are 1 week old. They did a good job of giving the ducklings a way out of the pool. Young ducklings can drown if they get tired and can't get out.

"We would like to order some hatching eggs from your farm. We have been looking for chicks and ducks that weren't raised in a large factory facility and are heritage and are on some watch list and need help. So glad to come across your site!" -Chris & Chrissey, Greenfield Center, New York

"At least someone loves this rain! Still loving our goofballs. They have made their own pond. Hard to even be mad that I had to search the woods for an hour in the pouring rain to find them. We're building a fence. Ducks are so great." -Jill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (It is Jill's puddle photo. The ducks with white are Anconas.)






Ducklings Are Adorable

The photo of the still-wet, just-hatched duckling with eggs, and the duckling photo with pink in the background are from Roger in Sellersville, Pennsylvania.

Quicktime Movie: Dominique hen with ducklings. It is 2 seconds long. She hatched these eggs! A chicken can hatch duck eggs. The movie is from Valerie in San Mateo, California.

A great 22 second video of Ancona ducklings in a kiddie pool from Pam in Peculiar, Missouri.

"Thank you so much! I look forward to receiving them, I'm super excited they are very beautiful animals and will be a beautiful addition to my farm!!" -Kyle, Sandpoint, Idaho

"The hatching eggs are here!!! *happy dance* so excited :) everything looks wonderful, thank you so very much for the extra care. Much appreciated. Will keep you updated as it goes on!" -Jessica, Glen Burnie, Maryland

"I got these for pets. My mom...I can tell she is looking forward to the ones I don't want." -Jim, Forest Park, Illinois

"Hello! Just wanted to check in and let you know we are half way through incubating, and 4 of the 5 eggs are doing fantastic! My kids and I are enjoying seeing the little babes swimming around in the eggs. Thank you again!" -Lauren, California

Friendly and Cute

In this photo the Ancona duckling is about 1 week old. The yellow later turns to white.

"I have 3 healthy ducklings. They are beautiful and perfect!" -Vicki, Durham, North Carolina



Taking Care of Ducks

Duck care is almost the same as taking care of chickens. I have my ducks and chickens in the same coop. Ducks do not roost like chickens. They sleep on the coop floor. This breed of duck does not fly.

Both eat the chicken layer feed. I add Brewers Yeast and Kelp to the feed. The Brewers Yeast has vitamin B3 (Niacin) that ducks need higher amounts of than chickens. Kelp has many trace minerals.

Both types of poultry like to eat almost any kind of weeds or greens. They eat that in the pasture plus I bring them comfrey leaves, weeds I pull out of the garden, and scraps from my kitchen.

"Here is an update on my fowl: 7 Anconas and 10 Dominiques. Lots of fun." -Jay, Raphine, Virgina (The photo is from Jay.)

"I'm very excited. I raised ducks when I was growing up, and it was such a joy! I can't wait for my son to experience how lovable and funny ducks can be. They're such characters.

I'm also excited to help support this rare breed. I was fascinated by all the information on your website. I'm pleased the breed has done well in Oregon. It can get cold and sometimes snow. I was happy to read this breed enjoys playing in the snow.

We had great success with hatching out chickens which was such a great experience for my son. He's a good little chicken daddy, so I think he'll be just as good at rearing the ducklings!"
-Dana, Ashland, Oregon


Questions People Ask
The photo to the right is Nancy with an adult male black and white Ancona duck. I love his feet.

How old are your eggs when shipped?
They are very fresh. They were laid either the day I ship or the day before. If you order a lot, some will be a little older while I collect them for you. But they are always less than 1 week old. Duck eggs take 28 days to hatch. You start counting the days when you put your eggs in your incubator, not when the duck laid the egg.

How are they packaged for shipping?
Each egg is wrapped in a tissue, and placed in an egg carton. I wrap wide scotch tape around the carton so it can not come open. I place packing material around the carton, so it is held securely. It is unusual for eggs to be broken. I have a stamp I place on all sides of the box that says: "Fragile, Hatching Eggs. Winter: Do not let freeze. Summer: Keep out of sun."

"The eggs arrived today! They were packaged beautifully and not a single one was damaged. I will let them sit overnight and put them in the incubator tomorrow. Thank you so much!" -Betsy, Indian Trail, North Carolina

"I received the duck eggs from the post office today in perfect condition! It was evident in the way you had them packed that you took meticulous care in wrapping them individually and the using additional packing material to ensure that they arrived safely!" -Ed, Iowa City, Iowa


Have your birds had any diseases?
My chickens are very healthy. They are free range. Besides feeding them poultry layer food, I also feed them kelp, azomite, brewers yeast, sunflower seeds and flax seed. I have had friends comment on how good my birds look.

Have other buyers had a good hatch rate?
People who have bought in the past are happy with their hatch rate. A lot depends on the type of incubator you have, whether you have a turner (or turn properly by hand), the humidity, temperature and overall attention you give your eggs while incubating. I do enclose a flyer about incubating eggs and brooding ducklings.

The duckling photo to the right is a 7-egg Brinsea incubator. The photo is from Tim and Jane in Kentucky.

"Luckily we found you!! We are very happy about your hatching eggs, the hatching rate, the beautiful birds, and the outstanding customer service and support you provide!! We truly appreciate it and would like to THANK YOU for that!" -Anja, Bend Oregon

"Thanks. You are very dependable and efficient." -Jay, Raphine, Virginia

"Nancy, wanted to let you know all eggs arrived safe and sound and are now in incubator." -Fran, Maryland

"GREAT news! We candled the eggs last night and ALL but 3 were fertile and growing!!!!! Wow! We're so excited! We are patiently awaiting these sweet little ducklings! They're all tucked into the incubator, warm and happy :) ...to be continued!" -Tamara, Colorado

"All my Ancona ducklings hatched (all 18 of them). Thank you so much." -Grace, Michigan

"I wanted to let you know our ducklings hatched, and they are so fun and are eating and drinking and splashing comics :). We had incubated 7 eggs and had 6 hatch into healthy ducklings. So‚ we are very happy with the success." -Brad, North Carolina

You can hatch eggs with an incubator or even let a broody chicken or duck hatch them for you! Ancona duck eggs take 28 days to hatch. Chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch.

"I am putting my duck eggs under my banty chicken. She has hatched for me before and is an excellent mother!" -Cynthia, Elderflower Farm, Talent, Oregon

A broody female Ancona duck (hen) made this nest.

Below left to right: chicken egg, duck egg, goose egg.


Ancona eggsTo the left: 3 Ancona duck eggs in an RCom Pro Mini incubator. This photo is from Kelli in Marble, North Carolina.

To the right: Ducklings starting to come out of the egg. You can see the tip of the beak.

"I wanted to report that 6 of 7 green Ancona duck eggs hatched! I'm looking forward to the color gene project for the eggs! I will let you know what I find out with the next generation layers." -Kristen, Sharon, Massachusetts

Just hatched ducklings.

"I candled the Ancona duck eggs today. Eight are veiny and air sacs are in the right spot. Thank you for taking the care to package them so well. We are on day 8, wish me luck! I'll send you a cute photo when they hatch. My poor 3 year old is asking every day." -Felicity, Ruckersville, Virginia
A 2-day-old Tri-Color Ancona duckling.
If you want friendly ducks, spend a lot of time with them when they hatch and during the first few weeks. They will bond with you and follow you around.
One-month old Ancona ducklings around their water bowl.

At around 5 weeks you usually can hear the difference in the quack sound between males and females.
Lots of older ducklings in a kiddie pool having fun. Their feathers are changing from yellow to white.

Ancona ducks come in various colors mixed with white: black, chocolate, blue, silver, lilac, lavender, and tricolor. Sometimes they have blue fawn, dusky, fawn, mallard, pencilled or other colors. Solid white is possible.

Black and white is the most common. Chocolate and white is the second most common. Lavender is a deep purple-gray. Lilac is a lighter lavender. Silver is rare.

If you don't have a lake, pond or stream, you can still have ducks. Just get a kiddie pool or similar container. They love it.

This drake (male duck) is having a great time. He is a Tri-Color Ancona that is dusky. His duck friends are watching.

This photo is from Laura in Portland, Oregon. Yes, ducks and chickens can live together happily.

Duck footprints in the snow. Ducks like cold weather more than chickens do.

About Ancona Ducks
Chickens and ducks can live together. They get along well with each other, especially Ancona ducks because they are easy going.


"Our 7 ducks are doing great! They are just so super cute. They will be 7 weeks old this week and are doing great with our 8 hens." -Chris, Marietta, Georgia


Dave Holderread is responsible for the comeback of the Ancona duck. He has been working with them for 30 years in Oregon. He said:

"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."


More About Ancona Ducks



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