What can you tell me about Stanbridge White ducks?

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Sweetfolly

Sweetfolly

Songster
10 Years
Apr 17, 2009
2,123
70
191
Kildare, Wisconsin
I just got 5 of the most adorable, yellow Stanbridge White ducklings in my "Bargain Duckling Assortment" from Holderreads last week!

Besides the information at these websites:
http://www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk/rarebreedducks.php#swd
http://forums.poultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16710&start=0
http://www.reddogblog.net/?p=243
Can any of you tell me anything about the breed? Does anyone here have any that they have adult pictures of? I realize that this is a long-shot, because they're so rare - but, I figure if chickenlover54 and I both got some this year, maybe someone else here has some from the past few years....
 
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I was sent two Stanbridge whites as a bonus to my order of 6 Welsh Harlequin and 4 rare duck assortment from Holderread's. One of the 12 ducks sent didn't make it through the first night unfortunately, but I know it wasn't a Welsh that died and I'm fairly sure now it wasn't a Stanbridge. The only thing I can find is that they are a type of Magpie which I think one of the three links you posted mentions. I'm hoping Holderread's actually sells them individually (and not just in an assortment or as bonus) next year. Even though I don't care much for all-white animals, bringing a near-extinct duck back sounds exciting to me. If you find anything else about them I'd be happy to know.

Nice website, by the way.
 
I heard one of mine (they're 4 weeks old now) start quacking today, so I know I have at least one girl in the bunch!
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I want to compile information on them such as their average weight, egg color (I'm thinking it should be light green), number of eggs they lay per year, etc. for a page on Feathersite.com - having that sort of exposure should really help promote interest in the breed!

I'll post some pictures on mine later tonight or tomorrow morning - they're MUCH bigger than my Dutch Hookbills that are the same age.
 
My ducks are about a week younger, so I'll have to wait a bit.

I would like to breed some Stanbridge Whites sometime in the future, but setting up yet another breeding pen will have to wait until at least next spring.

It would be good to promote the breed. I wish they had more time to chat at Holderread's, I'd like to know if they got their Stanbridge Whites from someone else or if they recreated the breed themselves.
 
Quote:
I actually already had found that one and posted it in the original post! I e-mailed the person who had posted all that information a month ago, but I never had any response.
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I'm planning on sending an e-mail off to Holderreads too, just asking for a little more information about the breed, but since it took them three weeks to get back to me to confirm that the ducklings I received are, in fact, Stanbridge Whites (they didn't specify on the inside of the box, where the order information is written), I'm trying to hold off for a month or so - until the busiest part of their hatching season is over.
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Goatherd82 - Assuming that Holderreads imported the ducks from the UK, the breed must be so inbred right now that I'm not sure that they'll be selling them individually anytime soon - sending them out as bonuses is a good way to promote interest and create isolated gene pools. But, if I end up with a few girls I'd be happy to send you some eggs next year for the cost of shipping, or even meet you at a swap sometime - you're not that far away!
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Anyways, here's the "teenagers" roaming the backyard last night. They had just gotten out of their pool, so they're all wet and raggedy.
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The white ones are all Stanbridges, there are 5 Dutch Hookbills visible in the picture (and one Dutch Hookbill butt on the far-right), and then the two larger ducklings are some of my Hookbill/Runner crosses that are about a week older than the Holderreads babies:
May2010043.jpg
 
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My parents live in Wisconsin so i drive there once or twice a year anyway. So yes if you do get fertile pure Stanbridge eggs I would love some and certainly offer to pay you for more than just shipping.

I've gotten the impression before that at least some breeders don't worry too much about inbreeding with fowl until it's severely inbred, but I do suspect you are right that the gene pool is quite limited. I know with some registered cattle they can breed a rare breed bull (like a Randall Lineback, for example) to a common breed of cow (like a holstein or jersey), get a 50-50 mix, then breed the 50-50 heifer to a non-related 100% Randall lineback bull and keep breeding the mix offspring back to a pure Randall lineback bull. By the time they get an offspring that is 15/16 pure (great-grand calf of the original pure Randall bull), it's considered purebred and registrable as long as it conforms to the Randall Lineback standard. I don't know if that is at all kosher with duck breeding, just that it helps preserve genetic diversity a bit.
 
My Stanbridge Whites are 6 weeks old today, and I have officially determined that I have 3 girls and 2 boys!
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I'm hoping I can keep them all together in that ratio once they're mature - we'll see. I have an extra "bachelor pen" that I can move one of the drakes to if need be, but I'd like to keep him in there if I'm breeding them; just that one slightly different set of genes is beneficial!

I already have a pen set up just for the Stanbridge Whites though - I just need to finish painting it and screw the roof down!

Here are some new pictures - they're getting big, and they're really very pretty ducks. I was never a big fan of plain white ducks either, but these guys have been growing on me since I opened the box 6 weeks ago!:
HolderreadBabies2010025.jpg


They're much bigger than their Hookbill "siblings" of the same age:
HolderreadBabies2010008.jpg
 
Well, it appears that both of my Stanbridge Whites are ducks and not drakes, which I find interesting. I'm still really not sure yet - they only sort-of quack, not loudly like the other females.

I emailed Holderread's about the Stanbridge whites a month ago and here is what they said:

"Dave said that while they aren't listed on our price list, they would/will be the same price as either the Black or Blue Magpies. (Our 2011 price list won't be computed until we know what feed prices will be; however, we anticipate that there will not be a drastic price increase from 2010.) Dave also said that if you are able to leave the shipping date flexible, we should be able to get 10 to 15 for you at a single hatch. "

That said, if you get some purebred Stanbridge eggs after Feb 1 2011, I would love to have some. I could probably trade you for Welsh Harlequin eggs, or I could just pay you for them.
 

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