the Silver Appleyard and the Silver Appleyard Miniature

We have sold out of birds hatched last year so are now taking expressions of interest for the 2007 season. We have a limited number of birds we can rear in any one year so please book early for collection in the autumn. If you want eggs for hatching or day old ducklings please ask - limited supplies should be available between late spring to mid summer.
Silver Appleyard Miniature

The Silver Appleyard (sometimes known as the Large Appleyard) was originally produced in Great Britain

It is a good layer, an excellent table bird and attractive to look at.
ORIGIN : Great Britain in the 1930's and 40's by a gentleman by the name of Reginald Appleyard. He was a well known writer and breeder of domestic waterfowl.
BREEDING : His aim was to produce the perfect all-round utility duck.
EGGS: a good layer
SIZE : heavy; drakes- 8-9 lbs (3.6-4.1 kg)
ducks - 7 -8lbs (3.2-3.6kg)
MEAT: excellent table bird
TEMPERAMENT : Both the male and female have a lively carriage, slightly erect with their back sloping gently from shoulder to tail. Broad is a description of many of their features - body; tail; bill. They are well rounded and alert; with their orange legs set slightly back. They have tight plumage and have dark hazel eyes.
THE MALE : Dark green head has silvery markings and a white/silver line separates the claret feathers at the base of the neck and the shoulders. The claret feathers of the breast have white beneath and the bib fades into silver under the body. Over the back the claret merges into dark grey feathers and the rump is solid dark green, as are the feathers under the tail. The tail itself is grey with broad white edging.
Their wings have chestnut, grey and white with a iridescent blue flash. The drakes bill should be yellow - green.
The drakes are quick to mature and make fine table fowl - about 8-9 pound in weight

THE FEMALE: The ducks head and neck are silver white with a band of brown flecked fawn over the crown and back of their neck. This band merges into the heavily fawn flecked feathering of her back without a break. A fine fawn line marks through the eye. most of the body from breast to flank is creamy white. The tail is darker fawn as are the wings. Her bill is yellow with a brown saddle.
A good duck can lay over 150 (maybe 180) large white eggs a year - she weighs in at around 7-8 pounds.

the perfect Silver Appleyard duck :- from the British Waterfowl Standards book 1999 (CLICK here TO BUY THE BOOK ) few birds will come up to this very high standard.
feature	drake	duck
head	well rounded head with a slightly raised brow
	iridescent green (over brown black feathers)	head with dark brown markings over her brow and crown
carriage	slightly erect, alert and busy, the drake is more upright than the duck
neck	medium length, not too thin and only slightly curved, becoming thicker at the base and joining smoothly at the body.
	iridescent green (over brown black feathers) which stops above the shoulder with a complete silver white ring	distinct line between fawnish buff and the light brown streaked cream body
breast	rich red brown with silver white lacing which finishes in a line from the wing fronts	creamy white
body	an elegant bird with a longish almost rectangular body, but no keel
	All underneath is silvery white to cream	light brown streaked cream
back	The brown grey feathers on the back are each laced with white	light brown streaked cream
rump	brown black with a slight iridescence, laced with white.	light brown streaked cream
tail	slightly elevated; brownish black bordered with white	slightly elevated; fawn, edged with cream
wings	silvery white; dark grey iridescence overlay; violet green iridescence to the wing flashes; coverts tipped with white and black	silvery white; dark grey iridescence overlay; at the end of the wings are darker black feathers
legs, feet and webs	legs are set a little back and well apart
	orange and a little longer than ducks	as dark grey as possible
bill	medium length, rising in a gentle curve to the brow but not wedge shaped
	yellowish green with a black bean at the tip	dark grey, almost black
eyes	dark brown

The Silver Appleyard Miniature was developed by Tom Bartlett of Folly Farm in the 1980's with the same general characteristics and colour as for the large just in miniature.

The drakes weigh around 3 pounds and the ducks around 2.5 . They are full of character and points to avoid are looking too much like mallards - long beaks and racy bodies.

It is easily confused with the Silver Bantam by some ; this was originally known as the Silver Appleyard Bantam and was produced by Reginald Appleyard as a cross between a small khaki Campbell and a white Call Drake in the 1940's.