Breeding Aylesbury Ducks. 537 



perhaps, to hear that upwards of ;^ 20,000 a year is returned to this immediate neighbourhood for 

 Aylesbury Ducks alone. 



" It is a curious sight to see the cottages of the ' duckers,' as the breeders of them are called, 

 during the spring, when they have the youngsters in every room of their house, from the kitchen 

 to the bedroom ; and their clamour when feeding-time approaches is terrible. The birds intended 

 for market purposes are never allowed to go into water, and often are not even permitted to go out 

 of the purlieus of the dwelling-house till they are killed. Their food is at first eggs, boiled hard 

 and chopped fine, mixed well with boiled rice, and this is given to them several times during the 

 day. As they grow, and are capable of consuming more, they are fed upon barley-meal and 

 tallow greaves, mixed together with the water in which the greaves are boiled. 



" This is all that is necessary for ducklings for early killing and table purposes ; but it must 

 not be supposed that such measures are used to bring the birds to the perfection in which they 

 must be exhibited to command success. To produce birds of great size of frame and weight it is 

 necessary to let them go to the water at about three weeks old, for a short space only at first ; and 

 though their food is the same at the earliest stage as before described, it should afterwards be 

 varied by giving them maize once in the day, or barley now and then for a change. The greatest 

 difficulty is found in keeping their bills of the proper colour, which should be ' as pink as a lady's 

 nail.' There is no difficulty in doing this in the vicinity of Aylesbury, as the soil "by the side of 

 the streams and ponds is a formation of sandy gravel, conglomerated with minute shells ; and it is 

 owing to this, amongst other causes, that their bills are of the much-admired colour. Away from 

 Aylesbury they will often turn yellow, which is objectionable ; but this can be remedied if proper 

 care is taken, by putting some gravel into their water-troughs, and keeping them from the sun, 

 which will often tan them, and from running much in the grass, and from foul water, which is also 

 prejudicial to the delicate colour. 



" Of their appearance it is almost unnecessary to speak, as there is but one variety, and they 

 are universally known as the 'White Aylesburys,' their plumage being of a spotless white, the 

 slightest discoloured feather being a disqualification, and also showing impurity of breed. Their 

 legs should be bright orange. Drake and duck vary only in the ordinary respect of the male 

 bird showing a very handsome curled feather in the tail, and being of larger size than his mate. 

 Ordinary ducks of the breed weigh about six pounds and drakes seven pounds at twelve months 

 old, and any increase to these weights is above the average ; they can, however, be found for 

 exhibition to weigh nine pounds to ten pounds each, the duck and drake respectively ; but these 

 are quite outside weights, the heaviest pair ever exhibited at Birmingham, shown by me, weighing 

 nearly twenty pounds the pair. 



" It is advisable to keep for a breeding flock one drake to two ducks, or two drakes to five 

 ducks. A running stream is preferable to a pond, but one or the other is indispensable. For 

 beginners, let it be added, the best time to purchase a stock to commence with is in the autumn, say 

 in September, and the birds should be the early young of the year — that is, about seven months old — 

 and the ducks will then probably commence laying in December, and certainly at the turn of the year. 

 By these means an early flock can again be produced. It is advisable to use a drake unrelated to 

 the ducks, and not over two years old, and a change of blood is advisable about every third year. 



"Their eggs vary in colour in an .unaccountable manner, some being quite white and others a 

 bright green or cream-colour, though the same food and treatment is given to the ducks. The sex 

 of the progeny has nothing to do with the colour of the eggs." 



Mrs. Seamons' notes on the rearing of ducks for the London market in the Vale of Aylesbury, 

 and also for exhibition, are as follows : — 

 68 



