OUR KICKSTARTER PROJECT
About the Farmers:
We, Evan and Rachel, are young farmer/conservationists currently renting a 40ac property in Eugene OR. Our primary focus are our critically endangered Ancona ducks which we are promoting and hatching for production on small, diversified
, pasture based farms like ourselves. All breeds at The Boondockers Farm are Critically Endangered category and are most need of conservation.
About the Ducks:
About a year and a half ago we were honored to be asked to continue breeding a flock of Anconas from Dave Holderread. Author of “Stories Guide To Raising Ducks”, Dave is a world renound waterfowl conservationist. In the late 70’s he isolated one remaining pair of Anconas and from those two has recreated the breed, single handedly giving these beautiful ducks a second chance. The 13 birds we inherited from him make up the original and most important breeding stock for the Ancona breed.
Dave considers these birds to be of the hardiest and genetically pure he has ever encountered. The Ancona ducks’ ability to lay 275 eggs/year and incredible foraging abilities make them a very profitable choice for small pasture based farms and backyards in a wide variety of climates, especially ours. We are in the process of conducting a census of the breed in conjunction with The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy(ALBC) to track how many breeding birds there are in the United States. Currently Ancona ducks remain in their Critical category; the parameters are as follows:
What does Critically Endangered mean: There are fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more). The estimated global population is less than 150 breeding Anconas.
The Goal of our Project:
Our goal is to hatch 400 ducklings which are hatching the day we start the project, we will raise them on our farm to multiply the current number of breeding Ancona ducks in the United States. With your help we will help the Ancona Breed by repopulating them and taking them out of the Critically endangered category. Throughout the hatching and raising we will document this endangered breed which never been done before. We will offer instructional videos of how we manage the flock and empower people to raise ducks on their own.
What we Need:
In order to rotate our ducks and Livestock Guardian Dogs on pasture we use mobile electric fencing called PoultryNet, made by Premier1. This fencing takes a large investment but less than installing typical livestock fence. Its functionality far surpasses any other options we have tried, one acre of pasture can be moved/set up in less than an hour (I mean by myself and Im 5‘2, 105lbs)!
Why we need PoultryNet:
PoultryNet keeps ducks 3wks and older contained, gives our dogs a very respectable perimeter, and adds assurance our birds will never be devastated by predators. At our prior location we had coyotes who would scream in packs only 20ft or so from the fence. Our neighbors had lost cows to cougar, and sheep were commonly taken from the field right on the other side of the fence. We are now seeing foxes, raccoons, skunks, and bobcats at our new property and have experienced one loss already, the first since we have had our dogs… but the predator didn’t make it back through the fence with our bird. We are told there are weasels, bear, and also cougar here aswell. Our dogs let it be known that these fences are well tested.
The PoultryNet will allow us not only to significantly increase our breeding flocks for next springs’ hatching season but will also allow us to fulfill some demand for meat and eggs in the off season, using the reputation of chefs to help promote the breed. Though ducklings hatch out 50%M and 50%F, in flock setting an even ratio would be detrimental to the females, so the extra males serve as ambassadors of the breed (on the plate). Raising more significant numbers of Anconas to be used dual purposefully as breeders and meat will put us in a greater position to promote and significantly improve their gene pool by only selecting and breeding the strongest, most hardy, productive, and true to type birds for breeders.
What we will reward you with:
We believe in using multi media for breed awareness, inspiring others, learning with others, and documenting farm life. We will be tracking their progress through HD video postings on the blog, and as supporters you will be able to intimately watch the growth of these rare baby ducks.
Give what you can to help this breed reach the farms and backyards that need them!
$1 - Access to updates with special “How to Raise Ducks” videos and slide shows of incubation, hatching, rotating baby ducks and the new groups in their PoultryNet Pastures!
You can view all of the updates on the blog @ http://duckrevolution.blogspot.com/
$5 - You will get to name one of the 400 baby ducks! & and all of the above!
$25 – Heritage Duck or Boondockers Heirloom Seeds 4, seed packs & all of the above!
$50 A 8x 8 Canvas Photo of your baby Ancona duck, & all of the above!
$250 Boondockers natural skin care gift basket, & all of the above!
$500+ Starter breeding flock of 15 day old ducklings (Spring 2012) and help picking which breed, Technical guidance from Boondockers to help successfully raise a heritage breed flock OR Heirloom Seed Collection, 40 seed packs and help designing your garden space. And all of the above!
Other options we might be able to offer...
(Set of 10 Greetings cards, your choice of eating or hatching eggs, broilers, photographic/website services, duck class voucher, private farm tours)
