Breeds of DUCKS

Other than the Muscovy, all our domestic breeds are variants on the Mallard species Anas platyrhynchos

Abacot Ranger

Appleyard large & miniature
The Silver Appleyard come in two sizes.
Most attractive bird but mostly selected for looks now. The large Appleyard was originally a meat bird.
There are very few strong table lines of the large version left. It used to be a really good productive breed.
The Silver Bantam was always a delightful fancy.

Aylesbury Aylesburys were one of the most common table birds some 50 years ago, but there are very few Utility stocks left. The commercial world has specialised and most domestic Aylesburys are either unselected farm white ducks or the very different exhibition strains.

Blue Swedish Slate grey with white bibs the Blue Swedish are very beautiful and charming ducks.

Call Cute, noisy and totally endearing - thats the Call duck; all sorts of colours;

Campbell The Campbell comes in 3 colours -white, dark and khaki. The Khaki used to be the main egg laying breed in the U.K. This position is now challenged by the newer commercial strains like the Cherry Valley 2000.

Cayuga The Cayuga is famed for its beetle green black feathering. A few strains still have the black egg colour, but sadly rare now.

Indian Runner The hock bottle shape marks these ducks out - entirely comical; Bred now for looks and fashion but the original utility stock were great layers and used in much of the creation of todays egg breeds.

Magpie In several colours, the magpie is a large attractive duck and should be a good layer.

Muscovy The Muscovy is a different species of duck altogether - from South America - they are big meaty birds and sometimes good flyers. In our experience they make great mothers. When crossed with a larger breed of the other domestics you can get a larger carcass, hybrid vigour providing a boost in size. These offspring are infertile mules but very good table birds.

Orpington The buff orpington is a beautiful medium sized duck and, in the past, good stock lines could lay up to 300 eggs a year.

Overberg

Pekin The Pekin is the basis of the favoured meat bird in the United States and its qualities have been used in the creation of our commercial table strains on this side of the water. Pure Pekins in the UK now are predominantly exhibition quality which has the cute upright stance but are not great carcasses.

Rouen This French breed was created originally for meat, a big generous carcase but now most strains are only bred for their looks. A large ponderous laid back bird with Mallard markings. The deep keel should be filled with meat, but not in the modern strains.

Rouen Clair The Rouen Clair was an improvement on the Rouen in France in terms of meat production, and for many generations here as well, these are now uncommon except in the exhibition lines. Another bered worthy of much work to bring it back to its former usefulness.

Saxony Such attractive meat birds, big, buff and bronze. Few productive lines but well worth finding.

Welsh Harlequin The Welsh Harlequin is a pretty little duck with a history of good egg laying numbers. It is difficult to find really good utility stock these days, they are popular garden pets but should be really really good layers too.

Tim and Jill Bowis
Kintaline Mill Farm, Benderloch, OBAN Argyll PA37 1QS Scotland
all images are copyright, do not use without express permission and links back to this site.

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