Ducks embrace life with an earthy delight that makes them a joy to keep. They’re robust creatures — messy, greedy and very noisy but also diligent workers that lay a lovely egg.
Among the domesticated duck family are two birds with such an imposing presence they’re described today as deluxe ducks. In earlier times, these breeds fed the inhabitants of big cities.
The large and stately English Aylesbury and French Rouen are different from the noisy, busy ducks familiar to most of us and their backstories span decades of great social upheaval.
Today’s specimens reflect those changing times as they bear little resemblance to the moderately sized birds of yesteryear.
These giants of the duck pond are largely ornamental now and kept for showing — though there’s interest from the slow-food movement in the…
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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #14.3