Even Cuter

OK, the chicks were cute but I think these guys are way cuter.

I've been wanting Ancona ducks for over a year and had made arrangements to get some shipped to me with some Calico Cochins but a bad hatch left me without either. I made more arrangements for Ancona's from a different party and believe it or not they too had a bad hatch and didn't have enough to fill my order.

So I decided to go to the best source I know Boondockers Farm.  For those who don't know Boondockers bought Holderread's prized Ancona flock, after Holderread brought them back from the brink of vanishing in North America. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy's 2000 Census only showed 128 breeding Ancona birds in North America and their status is still critical.

 I was able to get in for Boondockers June 24th hatch and have been waiting with baited breath.  I saw someone post yesterday that their ducks from Boondockers were at the post office...and I still hadn't received my tracking #. Oh no? Please say THEY didn't have a bad hatch and I wasn't getting any.  I emailed them and later that evening they sent me my tracking # with a delivery estimate of this morning. Phew...the ducks were on their way!

This morning I got the eagerly awaited call from the post office saying they were there. Yippee! I'm not normally very excited to get calls at 6:30 am but this morning it was a relief!  I quickly got dressed and headed to the post office who let me in before opening.

Here is what greeted me when I opened the box:

Since I can't keep them all I tried to vent sex them (identify gender). It must have been quite the sight seeing Kt and I inspecting the little duckies privates.  It's not as easy as it looks on the videos! Finally we made our best guesses, 6 girls and 5 boys...and there were only supposed to be 10 ducklings, we got an extra. Thank-you Boondockers!

We think these are the boys...

And these are the girls...look at the perfect heart on the left upper duckling's head! Sweet

Kt likes this little black one..

The best little rubber ducky ever

I couldn't be more pleased with this shipment.  I believe we have almost all the Ancona color varieties and they are nicely marked  There are a couple of blacks, some chocolates, lavender, I'm guessing some Lilac's (lighter lavenders), and maybe a Silver (this one's almost all yellow but you can see some silvery white in it's down).  It's pretty hard to tell exactly what some will end up but there is definitely a variety!