The Ancona Duck

by Cheryl Rose

Title

The Ancona Duck

Artist

Cheryl Rose

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The Fine Art America watermark in the lower right hand corner will NOT appear on artwork you purchase.

This pretty dappled duck is the Ancona Duck. It is rare and endangered. The Ancona Duck was developed in England in the early 20th Century. They are domestic birds that are originated from huttengem ducks and runner ducks.

The Adults Ancona ducks weigh around 6 to 6.5 pounds (2.7 to 2.9 kg). Their head is oval in shape with an 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 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.

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.

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 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.

Uploaded

October 28th, 2016

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