Aztecs are a very rare breed of bantam duck created by Holderread in 1983. Holderread began to develop them when they realized that people wanted a small, pretty duck to keep that was hardy and easy to propagate. Call ducks weren't cutting it for some people, since well-bred Calls have a lot of trouble hatching and can be hard to breed. So Holderread set out to create a very pretty bantam duck that bred easily and was hardy and vigorous. Thus, the Aztec was created.
They were bred to be about halfway between the extremes of the wild mallard and the Call duck. Not so long and racy as a mallard, but not so short and round as a Call. As a result, they were small, hardy birds that weren't difficult to breed. They were good layers, as far as bantam ducks go, producing between 40 and 100 eggs a year. They were good mothers, and readily hatched and raised their own ducklings.
However, Holderread eventually decided they would no longer keep the breed. Since then, they have nearly become extinct. But some were preserved, and have been kept in small flocks, being outcrossed to Calls or mallards to try to introduce new blood.
A small group of just such these birds made their way to me today. I offered help and genetics advice to someone with a small flock of these beautiful little ducks, and they decided to entrust me with a small flock of my own to work with and to help preserve the breed.
Here is most of my little group today, settling into their new digs. Certainly didn't take them long to find the pool!
More pictures to come as they get settled.
Does anyone else keep this breed?
They were bred to be about halfway between the extremes of the wild mallard and the Call duck. Not so long and racy as a mallard, but not so short and round as a Call. As a result, they were small, hardy birds that weren't difficult to breed. They were good layers, as far as bantam ducks go, producing between 40 and 100 eggs a year. They were good mothers, and readily hatched and raised their own ducklings.
However, Holderread eventually decided they would no longer keep the breed. Since then, they have nearly become extinct. But some were preserved, and have been kept in small flocks, being outcrossed to Calls or mallards to try to introduce new blood.
A small group of just such these birds made their way to me today. I offered help and genetics advice to someone with a small flock of these beautiful little ducks, and they decided to entrust me with a small flock of my own to work with and to help preserve the breed.
Here is most of my little group today, settling into their new digs. Certainly didn't take them long to find the pool!
More pictures to come as they get settled.
Does anyone else keep this breed?
