Topic: Do ......

[Trixiebelle]

Aylesbury Ducks come from Aylesbury Bucks?!?!?

I've just got two, 4 wk old ducklings to live on the allotment.

My Father-In-Law reckons ducks are the best slug repellents ever ... so I had to indulge him didn't I!

They are cute (in a kind of 'ugly-duckling' kind of way) but good grief! I know where the phrase 'mucky duck' comes from now. Messy little s**ds!!! You put a nice, clear water feature in their pen and next minute it's a mud bath.

My chickens have taken a dislike to them. But they're just spoilt princesses wondering if the cake that Father-In-Law brings for them every morning is going to be shared out between the two 'competitive flocks'.

My neighbour Ahmed has taken to them. They waddled through his privet hedge yesterday and I heard him saying "No no little duckies! Go back to your mummy. Uncle Ahmed will visit you soon" Soft s*d!!!!!!

They are cute though  ;D Do they get tame???

Trixie XXXXX

[moonbells]

Yes they do.

They are a very large-keeled duck; some of the show-bred ones have trouble, er, breeding cos the poor gents are unable to balance!

The last supplier of pure-bred Aylesburies in Bucks is here in Chesham - his name's Richard Waller and the ducks are amazing*. Rick Stein did one of his local heroes shoots there. They don't give them much in the way of water to swim in, because it makes them get fat rather than muscular (think of insulation). I think they just dabble about. But yes, the pens do get incredibly muddy, especially when there's a few dozen in a hatching.

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/site_details.asp?siteID=258

I still can't believe the family have been there since 1775!

Down by the Chess, the local mallards cause havoc in people's gardens, as they waddle over everything and destroy plants.

Ducks aren't easy garden companions! (Doesn't stop me wanting one, though). Yours will be full sized at 10wks and they are *not* small ducks!

moonbells

*They taste rather good, too! Must phone them up and order another...

[Trixiebelle]

Thanks for the reply Moonbells! Glad to hear they get tame!

> They are a very large-keeled duck; some of the show-bred ones have trouble, er, breeding cos the poor gents are unable to balance!

Does 'large keeled' mean they have big bums  ;D If it does then these ducklings are showing every sign of it! They both fell over backwards in the celery patch today trying to catch a butterfly!

And thanks for that link! Really interesting! I'd never eat them though.

I wonder how many times people have said that ref: their livestock?  ;D It's like the Antiques Roadshow when the 'experts' tell the punter that their exhibit is worth £25,000! I'd never sell it though!!!

> Yours will be full sized at 10wks and they are *not* small ducks!

I thought they were growing a bit quick!!! Oh well, big is beautiful  ;D

Trixie XXXXX

[moonbells]

I think large-keeled is basically big-chested.

Pop Aylesbury into google and have a laugh, there's two strains - show strains and 'normal' ones.

moonbells (slightly envious, but after the mouse palaver* yesterday I couldn't have anything the cat would stalk)

*cat brought in a large mostly unharmed fieldmouse and, stupid thing, let it go. Took 2 hours, a lot of moved furniture, a bitten hand (not the mouse - the cat!) AND a lot of muttering to get it out from under the TV. Mouse subsequently expired due to stress. Poor thing. But at least it wasn't eaten...

Husband was out at the time and found it all extremely funny. 

[Heldi]

Hi Trixie!

Congratulations on arrivel of your new ducks!

Any chance of seeing them ??  Aw go on..pleeeease !

[Trixiebelle]

THEY'RE HUGE!!!!! I'll try and get me camera mended!

[Emagggie]

Errr............ hate to say this, but feel I must get it off my breast chest,
we barbequed one on Saturday and it was deeeeelicious.

[Trixiebelle]

Barbequed cameras are seldom successful if you haven't got the right breed/dressing.

Kodak Quack with a film of negative dark-room sauce is my preferred option.

[Emagggie]

No reply then................just NEGATIVE

[Trixiebelle]

I have discovered this Growmore  ;D They've now got their own shed and run and we've got a fair bit of grass for them to waddle about on .. mind you, they spend most of the day sat in the comfrey patch with their heads poking out the top  ::)

And they're MASSIVE now! My neighbour Dario thinks they're swans.

How long before they lay eggs, does anyone know?