I've got three of the Golden 300 hybrids. They are now 6 years old. I can tell each of them apart since their wing coloring is pretty distinctive. For the first 2 years, they were egg laying BEASTS! Each hen laid well over 330 eggs per year. The 3rd & 4th years were fine but they slowed down to "maybe" 280-300 per year (I know cuz I charted them until last summer). The 5th year they were laying lots of shelless eggs but occasionally I'd get a shelled one
. This year I hardly get any at all but that's ok with me. Even though I'd love to still get eggs from them they are more like pets to me and they will stay here for the rest of their natural lives, eggs or no eggs.
I have to point out that they were my first (and so far only experience with ducks until NEXT week when my first pair of Australian Spotted blueheads arrive - oooh can't wait!) foray into having ducks. These girls have quite the personalities. They have a fenced in area in the woods where they hang out alot during the day. If I want to lock them up before dusk, I just go out there and call them, clapping my hands and telling them it's time for bed. Nine out of ten times, they quack back and just come tromping up the (tiny) hill and go into their run. Of course, there is the occasional tenth time when I have to go out there and herd them into the run, but that's another story
I believe you'd be happy with this breed, I know I have been.
ETA: When I ordered mine in 2003, there was a minimum # required of 10. I had two friends go in on an order with me and Metzer's sent me 11, they all survived. Another thing I liked about this breed was they were auto sexed. Males are blackish and females are brownish. No getting males by mistake if you only want females.
