poppy ben grace Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Hello, does anyone know of any breeders of miniature appleyards in the cambs lincs area? I have searched the internet and cant find anything... I really would love some ducks and thought these might suit our set up. I also like the look of call ducks but am worried these will be too noisy?? Any thoughts would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Miniature Appleyards look so pretty in the books but I too did not manage to locate a supplier, though I will still be looking for one at the Reading Bantam show next year as they sometimes have bantam ducks as well as bantam chooks. Are there any bantam shows round you? Regarding Call Ducks, in the absence of miniature appleyards and as a friend was giving hers' away, I acquired a pair. They are very sweet little souls indeed and just waddle around making nice little wap wap wap noises. I was told that the drakes make no noise at all and mine is certainly very sotto voce. So if you are really concerned about noise and don't care about eggs (Call Ducks only lay about 30 a year anyway) then you could have a batchelor club of drakes. Unlike cockerels, they don't fight if there are no girls around. My girly Call Duck makes a bit more noise than her hubby does, when, for instance, a pigeon swoops down low, but even that is far less than the noise my chickens make when they lay an egg and a lot less than a cockerel. However I guess she might be noisier if I had another female to quack with her. One thing, Call Ducks come in lots of pretty colours so you would have plenty to choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Thanks for that. I have to say your set up looks fantastic, your little ducks are beautiful! I do like call ducks and as i have 8 little pekins,( who seem to be constantly broody right now!) and 9 big girls i dont think a couple of ducks quacking in the background will make that much difference ! Will have a long think plus i have to sweet talk the OH....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Call ducks are a bit like water born Pekins, I find. They are lively little souls and talk away gently to you whenever you come out. I know I'm rather new to this duck thing but I don't regret taking them one bit. I find they are very little work, do no dammage in the garden at all and are rather cleaner than my chickens. I use aubiose in their house and there is far less poo picking to be done. The only real hassel is emptying out their bath water every day. I bale it out with a bucket every morning, and in the dry weather of last week was putting it on the plants, but in this bad weather it is going straight down the drain. This is fairly heavy work so if you happen to have a drain in your garden or just by your house then that is a good place to site your duck bath. Their house does not need to be right next to their bath, I find, and they trundle off into it in the evening with no problem at all and out again to their bath when I let them out in the morning (after I've let out the chooks). Also they are using a Grub / Glug just fine, though they do make the water in the Glug a bit muddy. They are eating Garvo layers pellets too, like my chooks with no problem. Do keep us posted on whether you mange to persuade your OH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smartrus Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Got 3 appleyards in the Northamptonshire area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
