Weight of Silver Appleyards at 8-10 weeks?

[feste79]

I'm looking to get some Silver Appleyards next year, but I'm curious about their weight at 8-10 weeks. They, along with my Muscovy's, will be my meat breeds and so I'm trying to compare them to a Pekin. I'm going to be getting Silver Appleyards, because I think they are better long-term solution than the Pekin, but I just want to know. They will be free to roam my half-acre backyard, swim in the pond and brook, so they won't gain as much weight as fast as if they were in a smaller confinement.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Somewhere between 8-10 weeks, my Appleyards were 8 pounds. They take about 2 weeks longer than a Pekin to get to butcher size and are leaner.

 

[feste79]

Thanks so much for the info. I was hoping they weren't too far off from the Pekin and 2 weeks isn't a problem at all. Are the eggs a pretty good size, too?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Oregon Blues]

The eggs are huge and they are excellent.

When I had Pekins, they were also good layers and laid a huge egg. Different strains of Pekin are different in their egg laying. Some lines lay eggs like crazy and some lines don't.

If you raise Pekins, don't feed high calorie food like corn. They pack on the fat and it is possible to have too much fat on a roast duck. I prefer the leaner Appleyards. They have enough fat for a good roast duck, but not overly fat like the Pekin will be if you aren't careful with your feeding. Appleyard skin also comes out thinner, so it crisps better.

Both breeds have excellent temperaments. The Appleyards are very calm, the Pekins are probably the most friendly ducks. Both breeds are beautiful to look at.