Silver Appleyard Ducks

[CelticOaksFarm]

I have two SA drakes one is darker than the other they are 2011 hatches. One was as dark as a duckling as the dark ducklings in the first picture. The other was lighter with the dark stripe on the head. Today they look very similar, almost not telling them apart. They are HWF stock, so unless David has been crossing his bloodlines (I highly doubt) then someone needs to come up with a better explanation.

We have a new duckling from this years eggs from these 2011 ducks and one is again dark like the first photo. Again these are not crossed with anything, no other bloodlines have been brought into up to this point, and they are isolated from the geese and Khaki Cambells we have here as well.

 

[rainy day ducks]

The dark phase is part of the Silver Appleyard genetics. SA's also have a white phase. It is common in their genetics but to stay true to the breed characteristics, do not breed these other phases if you want to preserve the true Appleyard ducks. They share the same characteristics as the true Appleyards and are ok for the utility bird.

 

[rollyard]

There are dark phase, and light phase silver appleyards. You have 3 light phase, 4 dark. Very pretty. If they were mallards, or rouens, they would have blackish green bills.

I don't believe so! Silver Appleyard ducks are genetically colour-wise light phase restricted mallards, ie, M^R/M^R, li/li. Silver Appleyard duckling down, @ least when birds genetically pure for M^R, should exhibit the restricted pigment (eumelanin) dorsal down pattern, ie, yellow-ish down (darker undercolour) with exception of dark area on head (mohawk) & tail.

 

[rollyard]

The dark phase is part of the Silver Appleyard genetics. SA's also have a white phase. It is common in their genetics but to stay true to the breed characteristics, do not breed these other phases if you want to preserve the true Appleyard ducks. They share the same characteristics as the true Appleyards and are ok for the utility bird.

No, purebred Silver Appleyards are genetically light phase, not dark phase @ all! I am not too sure about the "white phase" you are speaking of except that maybe what you are meaning is that occasionally white birds are bred from some strains of Silver Appleyard birds? If so, then these populations likely carry hidden the autosomal recessive white gene.

I feel that the phase alleles are sometimes confused with the mallard series alleles? Remember, it is the restricted mallard (M^R) factor that is responsible for restricted down pattern, not the dark/light phase gene/s.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Vent sexing is how to tell them apart, otherwise you are just guessing.
We love our SA's and are constantly increasing the flock size here. They are a lovely LARGE and slow moving duck full of personality.

Very large. And they eat a LOT. LOL.

There are dark phase, and light phase silver appleyards. You have 3 light phase, 4 dark. Very pretty. If they were mallards, or rouens, they would have blackish green bills.

yes.

The dark phase is part of the Silver Appleyard genetics. SA's also have a white phase. It is common in their genetics but to stay true to the breed characteristics, do not breed these other phases if you want to preserve the true Appleyard ducks. They share the same characteristics as the true Appleyards and are ok for the utility bird.

yes.

eta: typo

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

My dark. Parents are from Holderread.


All grown up.

Drake on the left, the dark female on the right.

 

[rollyard]

Interestingly, in his latest book, Holderread provides ample desription/information on Silver Appleyard genetics & color/pattern, specifically, down colour/pattern. I will leave Holderread have his say & his writtern word with you for consideration; On Silver Appleyard color/pattern genotype....."The plumage pattern and color genotype is wild type except for two dominant restricted pattern and two recessive light genes: Pat^RPat^R, Li^li Li^li (AKA M^R/M^R, li/li) (Stories Guide to Raising Ducks, Holderread, p. 127). On day old duckling description; "Ducklings have smokey yellow down with a black "Mohawk" crown and black lower back and tail" (Stories Guide to Raising Ducks, Holderread, p. 128).

There are also photos of typical Appleyard ducklings @ the bottom of page 128 for those with the latest edition of Holderread' book, ie, restricted down color/pattern, & they are not the darker wild type patterned birds pictured in some of the photos above

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You should call Holderreads, or search the post on here Oregon Blues posted about her call to them concerning SA ducks. Where DH tells her they come dark and also white as well.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I did write to Holderread to ask and was told that occasionally a dark duckling or a white ducklings is hatched from purebred parents. I was told that is just the way the inheritance works.

I assume that the "off" colored ducklings are missing some color gene or another. Personally, I will be removing off colored ducklings from my breeding pool. I want pale ducklings with a mohawk and if the dark ones and light ones are missing one of the genes in the color series, then they will not produce the color I want.

However, it does sound like they are purebred ducks and should perform like Appleyards.

 

[rollyard]

They may well come dark & white as well (due to undesirable (for the Silver Appleyard breed) hidden recessives), but personally, I too would be removing the "off" colored ducklings if wishing to breed true to standard for colour/pattern Silver Appleyard ducks. I would suspect that this is what Holderread does also, ie, only uses the restricted patterned ducklings for breeding on with. Otherwise he would end up with a far higher percentage of non-standard colored SA than just the occasional bird

. Unfortunately, the hidden recessives can hide & keep popping up future generations for many years, unless maybe you test your breeders first.

Still, the "off" color/pattern birds would make great backyard utility ducks & for personal pleasure.