1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016
1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016
1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016
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FEATHERED FRIENDS | Bantam ducks<br />
A baby grey Call<br />
flyers. Actually, all small ducks fly well<br />
and you will need to take measures to<br />
restrict flight.<br />
While there’s no shortage of Mallards or<br />
breeders, be aware that in some states it’s<br />
mandatory for birds to be pinioned to prevent<br />
escape and breeding with wild ducks.<br />
The Black East Indian, an elegant<br />
little black-plumaged duck with a<br />
lustrous green sheen to its feathers, is<br />
A one-day-old white Call<br />
exceedingly rare, so it’s unlikely one will<br />
be available. The female can produce<br />
dark-grey-shelled eggs at the start<br />
of each laying season, a surprise for<br />
unsuspecting owners. Sadly, it’s on the<br />
rare breeds list.<br />
A particularly eyecatching miniature is<br />
the Silver Appleyard and, if you have the<br />
room to set up breeding, the excess stock<br />
could be handy for home consumption.<br />
With anticipated weights of <strong>1.</strong>2–<strong>1.</strong>4kg for<br />
drakes and <strong>1.</strong>1–<strong>1.</strong>3kg for ducks, the breed<br />
is suitable for eggs and meat.<br />
Miniature Silver Appleyard ducks are<br />
silver-white with strategically placed<br />
fawn streaks and flecks and a distinctive<br />
iridescent blue band on the wings. Drakes<br />
are traditionally marked with the full<br />
white neck ring, areas of green-black on<br />
the head and neck, and a claret-coloured<br />
body. Dapper is the description for this breed.<br />
Disadvantages<br />
Do not head off to the poultry auction<br />
until you’ve read this section. Like the<br />
Scouts, you must be prepared.<br />
Female ducks are notorious for their<br />
quacking (the drakes, by contrast, have<br />
weak voices), and Calls, in particular, are<br />
very chatty. The noise of quacking may<br />
irritate immediate neighbours, especially<br />
if the birds are penned relatively close to<br />
outdoor living areas.<br />
The messy conditions of duck pens will<br />
attract flies — again, another source of<br />
complaint from neighbours — and there’s<br />
not a lot that can be done with the ducks<br />
because they instinctively fossick and<br />
dabble wherever there is water.<br />
Flying is a natural instinct shared by<br />
ducks with a small stature. They must<br />
Coloured Calls<br />
Small ducks are ideal for<br />
time-poor families. Set them<br />
up in a fully enclosed yard<br />
with a simple shelter and<br />
water facilities and their<br />
demands are minimal.<br />
Shutterstock<br />
68 | <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Organic</strong> <strong>Gardening</strong>
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