Day Old Silver Appleyard Ducklings
Hatching March to July.
The Silver Appleyard Duck is a solid choice for a dual-purpose duck. Silver Appleyards are a sturdy, strong, and hardy breed, with a striking coloration in the mallard style. They are extremely popular for exhibition, pets, and for adding some extra beauty to the farmyard or homestead. When provided with space and water for bathing/swimming, they keep themselves cleaned and well-groomed, as if they are always ready for the next exhibition or show!
Production: Silver Appleyards are one of the best layers of the heavy duck breeds, averaging about 220 to 265 very large white eggs per year. They also produce gourmet-quality meat that is lean and flavorful.
Temperament: Silver Appleyards are friendly and interactive. They are strong foragers and are calm and collected in temperament, making them great members of the backyard flock. This breed does not tend to wander as long as food and forage are plentiful.
History: The Silver Appleyard Duck got its fabulous name from its creator, Reginald Appleyard, who developed the breed at his Priory Waterfowl Farm in Eastern Great Britain in the 1940s. In his farm brochure from the 1940s, Appleyard had a clear goal in mind for this duck breed. He wanted a duck that encompassed what he felt was the ultimate duck - large size with a long and deep breast, plenty of large white eggs, and beauty. The breed has since become increasingly popular in the United States over the past 20 and 30 years. Recognized by the APA in 1998.
Colors: The Silver Appleyard Drake has mallard patterning. It retains much of the jewel tones of the mallard colors, but with white or silver highlights, lacing, and stripes that are aesthetically placed throughout the mallard colors. Despite the white accents, these birds have a sleek, smooth look and is a strikingly beautiful bird.
Females can have a lot of variations in color, which allows for easy identification of individuals within the flock. Female Silver Appleyards could be described as lighter-colored mallards. They have a lot of silver-white in their face, neck, and breast and dramatic feathers with dark stippling over tan on their shoulders and wings.
Interestingly enough, male Silver Appleyards tend to get lighter in color as they age, and females tend to darken.
Silver Appleyard Ducks have orange legs and feet. They have orange bills with some green and brown tones.
Conservation Status: Critical
Weight: Males 8 lbs; Females 7 lbs.
APA Class: Heavy Duck
Our Premium Silver Appleyard Ducklings will not ship to Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, West Virginia, Washington, or Virginia.
