The Aylesbury crossed the Atlantic and was first shown in the United States in the 1840 Boston show. But now, the breed is teetering toward extinction. In The Livestock Conservancy’s recent census of domestic waterfowl in North America, only slightly more than 100 breeding Aylesbury ducks were found, making them critically endangered. New stewards are needed now more than ever if the breed is to survive.
The Aylesbury’s large size and coloring make them an excellent market bird. This breed is pure white and has a characteristically straight, deep keel — extension of the breastbone — that nearly reaches the ground. A male will weigh about 10 pounds at maturity while a female, which lays about 50+ eggs annually, weighs around nine pounds.
The Aylesbury is of two types — exhibition and utility. The exhibition bird has a very deep keel which, according to Victoria Roberts of the Domestic Fowl Trust in England, makes
Ava Clark (verified owner) –
Chicks are surviving, but the quality wasn’t what I expected.
Chloe Evans (verified owner) –
Good experience, but the delivery was slightly delayed.
Madison Taylor (verified owner) –
Chicks arrived, but I lost one shortly after delivery.
Ethan Parker. (verified owner) –
Perfectly packaged, all chicks arrived in excellent condition.
Logan Bennett (verified owner) –
Chicks arrived, but a few were stressed and didn’t make it.
Brandon Scott (verified owner) –
Good quality birds, but the shipping took a little longer than I hoped.
Isabella Morgan (verified owner) –
Happy with the quality, but the tracking info wasn’t updated promptly.