Hidden River Ranch Heritage Waterfowl
Welsh Harlequin Ducks
Welsh Harlequin Group
Welsh Harlequin Ducks are a light weight duck, known for their vibrant plumage and great egg laying abilities.
Females are 5-6 lbs with a green black bill and creamy white feathers with dark stippling on them, with brown wings edged with white. The males are feathered like a faded mallard coloring, with a yellow green bill.
Harlequins are excellent egg layers, wonderful foragers and have a lean carcass.
This breed is critically endangered by the ALBC with only 188 breeding birds recorded on the last census.
Females are 5-6 lbs with a green black bill and creamy white feathers with dark stippling on them, with brown wings edged with white. The males are feathered like a faded mallard coloring, with a yellow green bill.
Harlequins are excellent egg layers, wonderful foragers and have a lean carcass.
This breed is critically endangered by the ALBC with only 188 breeding birds recorded on the last census.
Khaki Campbell Ducks
Khaki Campbell Pair
The Khaki Campbell or "Campbell Duck" originated in England. They are a light weight duck and are kept for their high level of egg production. Khaki Campbells are 3 - 5 poundsCampbells can come in three color varieties: khaki, dark and white. The Khaki Campbell drake is mostly khaki colored with a darker head usually olive green lacking the white ring of its Mallard ancestors. The Khaki Campbell duck has a more modest plumage of Khaki covering the entirety of the body. Despite popular misconceptions of skittish or flightly behavior Campbells are a very gentle, passive and friendly breed when raised by hand until maturity. They are a good breed for young families and children to raise.
The egg production of the Campbell breed can exceed even the most efficient of egg laying domestic chickens, with the breed laying an average of 300 eggs a year. When provided a moderate "duck conscious" environment to live in they will lay a more than modest number of eggs per week.
The egg production of the Campbell breed can exceed even the most efficient of egg laying domestic chickens, with the breed laying an average of 300 eggs a year. When provided a moderate "duck conscious" environment to live in they will lay a more than modest number of eggs per week.
Ancona Ducks
The Ancona duck is a new breed to us in 2020, our first ducklings will be available spring of 2021.
The Ancona is a dual-purpose duck breed that’s beautiful, friendly, excellent at foraging, and has recently been experiencing a surge of popularity. For a long time, they were listed by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) as “critically endangered.” However, a census taken by the ALBC in 2015 has found between 1000 and 1500 breeding birds (compared to only 125 in 2000), bumping their status up to “watch.” They are a wonderful breed and their popularity will likely continue rising.
Ancona ducks originated in England in the 20th century. They were bred for the express purpose of being a homesteading duck for people who wanted a few family ducks for eggs and meat.
They’re always pied, like pinto horses and Holstein cattle, with random color patches that are usually either black, buff blue, chocolate, lilac, silver, or lavender, with black-and-white being the most common.
The Ancona is a dual-purpose duck breed that’s beautiful, friendly, excellent at foraging, and has recently been experiencing a surge of popularity. For a long time, they were listed by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) as “critically endangered.” However, a census taken by the ALBC in 2015 has found between 1000 and 1500 breeding birds (compared to only 125 in 2000), bumping their status up to “watch.” They are a wonderful breed and their popularity will likely continue rising.
Ancona ducks originated in England in the 20th century. They were bred for the express purpose of being a homesteading duck for people who wanted a few family ducks for eggs and meat.
They’re always pied, like pinto horses and Holstein cattle, with random color patches that are usually either black, buff blue, chocolate, lilac, silver, or lavender, with black-and-white being the most common.
Muscovy Ducks
Blue Muscovy Hen
The wild Muscovy duck can display a wide variety of feather patterns and colors. Most have dark brown or black feathers mixed with white in a mottled pattern on the head or wings. Other colors such as lavender or all white are possible. All Muscovy's have long talons on their feet and a wide flat tail. The male is 86 cm long and weighs from 10-15 lbs much larger than the 64 cm long, 6-8 lbs female. His most distinctive features are a bare red face with a pronounced caruncle at the base of the bill and a low erectile crest of feathers. The drake has a low breathy call, and the hen a quiet trilling coo.
Muscovy ducklings are mostly yellow with buff-brown markings on the tail and wings. Some domesticated ducklings have a dark head and blue eyes, others a light brown crown and dark markings on their nape. They are agile and speedy precocial hunters. They are the best fly catchers around, even at a day old.
Because they have been domesticated most muscovy ducks are unable to fly, but young light hens will fly but usually not too high or too far.
We are breeding a multi-color line of muscovy ducks this year..
Muscovy ducklings are mostly yellow with buff-brown markings on the tail and wings. Some domesticated ducklings have a dark head and blue eyes, others a light brown crown and dark markings on their nape. They are agile and speedy precocial hunters. They are the best fly catchers around, even at a day old.
Because they have been domesticated most muscovy ducks are unable to fly, but young light hens will fly but usually not too high or too far.
We are breeding a multi-color line of muscovy ducks this year..