Czech Geese

Uses: Utility – meat. Eggs: 10 to 25 white eggs per year. Origin: Germany / Czech Republic. Weight: Gander: 5 – 5.5 Kg. Goose: 4 – 4.5 Kg. Colours: White. Useful to Know: Czech Geese are very similar in appearance to Roman Geese but are smaller in size. The lightest of geese useful if you […]

Chinese Geese

Chinese Geese

Breed In Focus The Chinese goose is an eye-catching goose with its sleek neck stripe and cream, fawn and brown body, with an unusual knob on top of its head. Chinese geese have two outstanding qualities; the first is the relatively large number of eggs that utility strains can lay, and the second is the noise they […]

Buff Back / Grey Back Geese

Uses: Utility – meat. Eggs: 25 to 35 white eggs per year. Origin: Europe. Weight: Gander: 8.2 – 10 Kg. Goose: 7.3 – 9.1 Kg. Colours: Buff and White / Grey and White. Useful to Know: A good all-round Goose that can make a good broody Photo: A Buff Back Goose. Buff Back / Grey Back Geese are pied medium weight geese, originating from the Northern […]

Brecon Buff Geese

Uses: Utility – meat. Eggs: 10 to 25 white eggs per year. Origin: Brecon, Wales. Weight: Gander: 7.3 – 9.3 Kg. Goose: 6.3 – 8.3 Kg. Colours: Buff. Useful to Know: As a pet, hand reared can become very tame. Pink bills and legs / webs must be selected. Orange is dominant but is not the correct bill colour which is seen in many Brecon […]

American Buff Geese

Uses: Utility – meat. Eggs: 15 to 25 white eggs per year. Origin: America. Weight: Gander: 10 – 12.6 Kg. Goose: 9 – 12 Kg. Colours: Buff. Useful to Know: As a pet, hand reared can become very tame. Tufted American Buff Geese exist although are extremely rare and haven’t reached the UK (yet?). Photo: American Buff Goose. American Buff Geese are very similar in appearance […]

Northampton Regional Show 2015

Northampton Regional Show 2015

Northampton and District Poultry Club’s first Poultry Club of Great Britain Regional show (15th February 2015), had a good entry of 522 (416 pens of birds.) A new larger venue proved to be popular with everyone as it allowed for a number of trade stands and the addition of new classes such as geese, turkeys, […]

African Geese

Uses: Crossed with Toulouse for meat production, sometimes as a broody. Eggs: 20 to 40 white eggs per year. Origin: Possibly China. Weight: Gander: 10 – 12.7 Kg. Goose: 8.2 – 10.9 Kg. Colours: Brown / Grey (most common), Buff, White. Useful to Know: The dewlap is slow to develop in some African Geese, taking 12 to 36 months to develop fully. Usually […]

Welsh Harlequin Ducks

Uses: Utility: eggs. Eggs: 150 to 250 eggs. Origin: Wales, U.K. Weight: Drake: 2.3 – 2.5 Kg, Duck: 2 – 2.3 Kg. Classification: Light. Useful to Know: Originating from the Khaki Campbell, itself originating from the Indian Runner, the Welsh Harlequin is an excellent egg layer and an active forager. Photo: A Welsh Harlequin duck. […]

Silver Bantam Ducks

Uses: Exhibition / Ornamental. Eggs: 60 to 160 Eggs. Origin: Suffolk, U.K. Weight: Drake: 900g, Duck: 800g. Classification: Bantam. Useful to Know: Visually, these ducks look very much like a bantam version of the Abacot Ranger. Photo: A Silver Bantam Drake. The Silver Bantam duck was originally created by Reginald Appleyard and originally called the Silver Appleyard Bantam. It was created in the 1940’s by […]

Silver Appleyard Miniature Ducks

Uses: Exhibition / Ornamental. Eggs: 60 to 160 Eggs. Origin: Gloucestershire, U.K. Weight: Drake: 1.4 Kg, Duck: 1.1 Kg. Classification: Bantam. Useful to Know: An attractive ornamental duck that looks good in the garden, has character and tames easily. Photo: A Silver Appleyard Miniature Drake. The Silver Appleyard Miniature duck originates from Folly Farm in Gloucestershire where it was created as a bantam version of […]

Silver Appleyard Ducks

Uses: Utility: meat and eggs. Eggs: 100 to 180 large white eggs. Origin: U.K. Weight: Drake: 3.6 – 4.1 Kg, Duck: 3.2 – 3.6 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Useful to Know: Silver is the only colour variety. A bantam variety is available: The Miniature Silver Appleyard. A good layer of large white eggs and useful table duck with good flavour. Photo: A Silver Appleyard Duck. Photo […]

Saxony Ducks

Uses: Exhibition and Utility: meat. Eggs: 100 to 160 Eggs. Origin: Germany. Weight: Drake: 3.6 Kg, Duck: 3.2 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Useful to Know: The Saxony can make a very meaty bird for the table. The pigeon blue head and wing tips of the drake and the eye stripes in the female make these very attractive looking ducks. Photo: A Saxony Drake. Photo Courtesy […]

Rouen Clair Ducks

Uses: Utility: meat. Eggs: 40 to 120 White Eggs. Origin: Picardy region, France. Weight: Drake: 3.4 – 4.1 Kg, Duck: 2.9 – 3.4 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Useful to Know: Heavy ducks mate more successfully in deeper water. Photo: A Rouen Clair Duck. Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson. The Rouen Clair duck has a slightly foggy […]

Rouen Ducks

Uses: Utility: meat although now more for exhibition. Eggs: 60 to 150 Eggs. Origin: France. Weight: Drake: 4.5 – 5.4 Kg, Duck: 4.1 – 5 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Colours: Wild Colour, Blue, Apricot Useful to Know: An extremely heavy duck with good table qualities but slow growing. Photo: A Rouen Drake. The Rouen duck originates […]

Pekin Ducks

Uses: Utility: meat. Eggs: 60 to 140 White Eggs. Origin: China. Weight: Drake: 4.1 Kg, Duck: 3.6 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Useful to Know: Feathering is fairly soft so avoid too much mud. One of the most influential breeds in the commercial market for producing meat for the table. Photo: A Pekin Duck showing the upright […]

Orpington Ducks

Uses: Utility: eggs and meat. Eggs: 160 to 200+ Eggs. Origin: Orpington, Kent, U.K. Weight: Drake: 2.2 – 3.4 Kg, Duck: 2.2 – 3.2 Kg. Classification: Light. Colours: Buff (other colours extremely rare or extinct). Useful to Know: Three colour variations will hatch due to blue dilution gene. Photo: A Buff Orpington Drake. The Orpington […]

Muscovy Ducks

Uses: As a broody and utility: meat. Eggs: 60 to 150 Eggs. Origin: America. Weight: Drake: 4.5 – 6 Kg, Duck: 2.5 to 3 Kg. Classification: Heavy. Colours: Black Magpie, Blue, Blue Magpie, Chocolate, Chocolate Magpie, Lavender, Wild (Mainly Black), White Useful to Know: Drakes are almost twice the size of ducks. Both have sharp […]

Magpie Ducks

Uses: Exhibition, Utility: meat. Eggs: 80 to 180 Eggs. Origin: Wales, U.K. Weight: Drake: 2.5 – 3.2 Kg, Duck: 2 – 2.7 Kg. Classification: Light. Colours: Black & White, Blue & White, Chocolate & White, Dun & White. Useful to Know: Colour patterns of ducklings do not change as they get older which allows early […]

Indian Runner Ducks

Uses: Utility – Eggs and good for organic pest control, particularly in vineyards.Eggs: Up to 200 eggs per year.Origin: East Indies.Weight: Drake: 1.6 – 2.3 Kg, Duck: 1.4 – 2 Kg.Classification: Runner.Colours: Apricot Trout (Saxony), Black, Blue, Chocolate, Fawn, Fawn & White, Mallard, Silver, Trout, White.Useful to Know: Indian Runners do not originate from India […]

Hook Bill Ducks

Uses: Exhibition, Utility: meat and eggs. Eggs: 100 to 200 Blue Eggs. Origin: Asia? Weight: Drake: 2 – 2.25 Kg, Duck: 1.6 – 2 Kg. Classification: Light. Colours: Dusky Mallard, White-bibbed Dusky Mallard, White. Useful to Know: Hook Bills are rare in Europe and the U.S. with an estimated 250-400 breeding birds left. They are […]