Silver Appleyard Ducks?

[Lextextrapper]

Do any of you raise them? If so, how do you like them? I've been wanting to get some ducks and couldn't decide which breed to get. I finally decided the Silver Appleyard may the one I try.

 

[kawonu]

Do you mean the standard size ducks or the call duck version? We have the Silver Appleyard Calls and love them...very nice colored ducks!

 

[Lextextrapper]

Quote:
I'm talking about the standard size.

 

[MDC]

I had a pair and I was not impressed with them. Nothing about them stood out as being something I'd promote. I have also heard, and with my limited experience with my single pair, that they tend to throw a LOT of pure white birds - I didn't hatch a single colored duckling from my pair. So, inasmuch as they don't breed true (based on my experience and a few other people's experiences that they relayed to me) I wouldn't recommend them personally. Of course, as with anything, if you're not interested in purebreds but just want something that appeals to the eye and they appeal to your eye, then by all means get them and enjoy them. That's all that matters in the long run.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Ooooh, mine are BEAUTIFUL!

I hope you find some! Eventually I may sell eggs on eBay or something, but until then, I hope you can find a few to hold you over.

Mine are not very people friendly, but that's because they were raised outdoors, without much human interaction. I bought them as adults, and I'm amazed at how far along they've come; from being so scared of me that Flynn's (drake) heartbeat could be heard from across the room (or pen shall I say, lol) to the point where I can pick them up now, and pet them.

They'd still rather not be held, but in the future, I plan on incubating some eggs and really loving up their babies! Hehe!

Then they'll be used to humans, dogs, cats, ducks and chickens. Not to mention swimming and the little barn too!

The last duckling I bought, I purchased with six chicks... Sigh, he thinks he's a chicken! He won't even swim! ;;
Strange little mallard...

 

[Duck Keeper]

ɱůşçōvý :

I had a pair and I was not impressed with them. Nothing about them stood out as being something I'd promote. I have also heard, and with my limited experience with my single pair, that they tend to throw a LOT of pure white birds - I didn't hatch a single colored duckling from my pair. So, inasmuch as they don't breed true (based on my experience and a few other people's experiences that they relayed to me) I wouldn't recommend them personally. Of course, as with anything, if you're not interested in purebreds but just want something that appeals to the eye and they appeal to your eye, then by all means get them and enjoy them. That's all that matters in the long run.

Be aware that pure Silver Appleyards are rare, and you may have gotten nicely colored crosses? Not sure, I haven't been 'ducking' for a year yet!
June 21st...


Plus, you're partial to muscovies.

-pokes your user name-
You may just not like mallard derivatives? But like I said, I don't know for sure.​

 

[MDC]

Quote:
Actually the birds I got were from a breeder and were purebred and as I am not the only person this has happened to I don't believe it to be a fluke. My experience with SAs, limited as it was (precisely because they had nothing I felt was worth keeping them around for.) has nothing to do with my preference for Muscovy. I raised Welsh for several years and will do so again in the future most likely.

I am partial to Muscovy because they're a practical duck and have a lot of traits that I feel are worth promoting but I have owned an array of mallard derivs over my lifetime, in fact, like many I refused to even consider buying Muscovy for many, many years before I bought my first ducklings. I like to advise people to find out what they want out of their birds and then I like to offer an opinion based on their wants/needs based on what the various breeds have to offer. I have no compunction telling someone that Muscovy might not be for them. Not every duck fits every situation. Silver Appleyards aren't rare, they might not be as easy to find as other birds but if a person knows where/how to look they can find them. Of course, if few people raise them there might be a good reason for it!

I certainly think people shouldn't hesitate to go with what they like and if that's the SA then by all means they should get them and make the most of it. I also think, though, that it's nice to know what might be a pitfall prior to purchasing so that you don't feel like you've been taken when the birds you get aren't what you were led to believe they were.

 

[CityChicker]

I have never kept full sized Appleyards, but Mini Appleyards are my favorite breed bar none. I am not sure why, but my Minis have the best personalities of any ducks I have ever kept and I have kept fairly large numbers of several breeds.

On the issue of color, again I have never kept the large Appleyards, but with the Minis- I *have* found color to be a problem. I have never had pure white offspring pop up, but I have had *almost* pure white occur. I am not sure if it is because of the li/li dilution or what, but I constantly have to select for darkly colored drakes in order to get females that are not mostly white. A separate issue is whether or not the Minis we have available in the states are really Appleyard color to begin with or not anyway.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I have the standard ones and I love them, but then again they're the only ducks I've ever had. They are not very friendly yet but we're working on it. They are only 8 or 9 weeks old.

 

[Lextextrapper]

I'm going to give them a try. Here's a link to the eggs I bought off Ebay. They should arrive either tomorrow or Monday.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=180361113604