Ancona Duck

Facts about Ancona Ducks. The Ancona Duck is a highly Endangered duck. The Ancona Duck were developed in England back in the 20th Century. They are domestic birds that are rare and originated from huttengem ducks and runner ducks.
The Ancona Ducks have been raised in the America for several decades but surprisingly they were introduced to the public in 1984. Since then the Ancona Duck have been increasing in numbers.

The Adults Ancona ducks weigh around 6 to 6.5 pounds (2.7 to 2.9 kg). The Ancona Ducks head is oval in shape with a S-shaped medium length neck. The bottom of the neck is wider than the top. The bill is slightly curved along the top line and orange in color. The feet are orange and can be spotted with either white or black spots.

The Ancona ducks do not migrate unnecessary and adapt very well in a home setup. Their food entails insects, greens, slugs and crustaceans though they are good foragers. They mostly like staying close to the home and due to their large size; it is hard to see predators threatening them.

The Ancona duck is a good dual purpose duck. They are good layers and this is proven by the fact that they can lay up to 280 eggs per year. The eggs are usually cream or blue.
The Ancona Ducks grow quickly and produce high quality meat which is very tasty. The meat is not fatty like that of the pekin ducks thus making it popular.

When choosing the Ancona duck for breeding, it is advisable to get the ones that are free, active, with no deformities. The ones with a good hatching history are also good for their eggs. In order to get Ancona Ducks with unique patterns, make sure you get birds with colored areas under the eyes or a bit of color on the chest for production.

The adult Ancona Ducks are white in color with pinto markings whereas the ducklings are yellow with spots. The Ancona Duck are believed to have a different pattern from each other. You can find them in blue and white, chocolate and white, black and white, silver and white, and lavender and white. The most common ones are black and white.

Ancona Ducks Water-proof feathers

A special feature that the Ancona Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Ancona Duck dives underwater, its downy under-layer of feathers will stay totally 100% dry. There is a special gland called the "Preen Gland" also called Oil Gland or Uropygial, that produces oil that is near the Ancona Ducks tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the Ancona Ducks feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Underneath the water-proof coat are downy soft fluffy feathers which keep the Ancona Ducks body warm. Ducks keep clean by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and put their beaks into their feathers by preening themselves.

Features about Ancona Duck egg

A Ancona Duck egg has twice the nutritional value than a chicken egg and will stay fresh longer because of their thicker shell.
Ancona Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen "the white of an egg" making pastries and cakes richer and fluffier. An Ancona Ducks Eggs has more Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg. Omega 3 is thought to improve skin health, memory and Brain health. Ancona Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food and a Chicken egg is an acid food and leaves your body more acid. Ancona Duck eggs are high in Cholesterol. Ancona Duck eggs have 6 times the Vitamin D and 2 times the Vitamin A than a chicken egg. Ancona Duck eggs have 2 times the cholesterol than a chicken egg.

"Scientific name for Ancona Duck Anas Platyrhynchos" meaning - Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed. From New Latin "anas" meaning (Duck) and the word Platyrhynchos comes from "platyrrhine", Ancient Greek meaning (broad snouted, flat-bridged nose).
Ancona Ducks are birds in the Class of "Aves". Ancona Duck and Ducks of all types are part of the bird family "Anatidae". Ancona Ducks are also called "waterfowls" they are generally found in places were there is water, such as ponds, rivers, streams, lakes and occasionally your back yard pool. The definition of Anatidaephobia is irrational fear that you are being watched by a duck.

The Ancona Duck is a Precocial (meaning) Born or hatched with the eyes open, a covering of hair or down, capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth and able to leave the nest just a few hours after hatching.

In the wild the male Ancona Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female Ancona Duck lays 5 to 8 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep them warm so that they can hatch into baby Ancona ducklings. The eggs will hatch on average within 26 to 28 days. Baby ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks.

The male adult Ancona Duck is called a (drake) and a adult female Ancona Duck is called a (hen). A young baby Ancona Duck is called a (duckling). A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling. The male Ancona Ducks (drakes) are the brighter colored ducks while the female (hen) are usually a plain colored for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.

Features about the Ancona Ducks Feet

Ancona Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. They push their webbed paddle feet back in a kicking motion, this allows them to move swift through the water and when the feet come back, they will close for less water resistance. The Ancona Ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Ancona Duck waddle instead of walk. The Ancona Ducks feet have capillaries which help blood flow to their feet. The warm blood flows down the leg and creates a heat exchange system. When the blood flows down the leg, it meets the cold blood and is warmed up to keep the Ancona Ducks feet warm. Ancona Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

Features about the Ancona Ducks Bill

A "bill" is what is call a Ancona Ducks mouth. There are no teeth in the Ancona Ducks bill, they have rows of thin bristles, which helps them to filter pieces of nutrition out of the water. Ancona Ducks swallow there food whole and it goes to an organ called a gizzard, were the food is first ground up and than moves on to the stomach. The different bill shapes and sizes for finding food, has over time mutated to fit each environment. The Ancona Ducks bill is flat and broad and has rows of fine incision along the outer edge called "lamellae". meaning a thin membrane, plate, scale or layer, as of cell wall or bone tissue. The larnellae helps the Ancona Duck to clutch food for feeding.

Ancona Ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Ancona Ducks have three eyelids the third eyelid called nictitating membrane. They have a top and bottom as well as a third eyelid that is found on the side of the eye. The Ancona Ducks eyelid blinking acts as a windshield wiper to clear the eye. This helps to see when diving under water can also help the eye from drying out while flying. This is an act of constantly cleaning and keeping the eye moist.
In captivity Ancona Ducks will lay more eggs, when there is more daylight, that's why farmers will keep the lights on in the ducks house for longer periods of time.

Ancona Ducks are related to swans and geese and the duck is the smallest of these birds with shorter wings and neck and a stocky body. Ancona Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years, depending on the breed. Ancona Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.