Domestic Duck Breeds

New Team of Peabody Ducklings Hatched in Time for Easter

Little Rock - P. Allen Smith has hatched the newest team of Peabody ducklings, unveiled Sunday at the hotel's annual Easter brunch. 

Smith and The Peabody Little Rock teamed up to maintain the lineage of the hotel's famous feathered friends and educate Arkansans about the hatching, care and life of The Peabody ducks.

The Peabody Little Rock's daily duck march is famous around the world.

"We are honored our new ducklings were hatched on P. Allen Smith's farm," said Lloyd Withrow, duck master at The Peabody Little Rock.  "They will certainly be accustomed to Four Star accommodations after spending time at our Four Star hotel and Allen's beautiful farm.  Our ducks are important to our staff, the brand of our hotel and to our guests, and we are grateful for the excellent care Allen has given them."

At the hotel's Easter brunch, guests were able to meet the newest team of ducklings during an organized pet and play time. Smith spoke to guests about the hatching process and signed copies of his book "Seasonal Recipes from the Garden" and his gardening decks, which are available for sale in The Peabody Little Rock gift shop.

"I was delighted to hatch this new batch of ducklings for The Peabody Little Rock and do my part to preserve their world-famous lineage," Smith said. He continues, "It is imperative that we preserve and support all threatened breeds of domestic poultry through education, stewardship and good breeding practices.  This cause is very important to me, and it inspired me to create the Heritage Poultry Conservancy."

Every day, a team of ducks marches in and out of the hotel lobby fountain where they swim throughout the day.  Teams of Peabody ducks, composed of four hens and one drake, rotate their duties at the hotel every four to six months.  When they are not entertaining guests at the hotel, they reside on a duck preserve in Scott, Ark.  The new ducklings will return to the hotel to begin entertaining guests when they are approximately one year old.

Breeding Ducks – Different Types and The Recommended Duck Breeds ...

Breeding Ducks – Different Types and The Recommended Duck Breeds to Consider

Breeding ducks is not only a means of livelihood, it can be a source of diversion and learning as well. Ducks have many types of breeds and, depending on what you need, they also have their own unique qualities that can help make your venture in breeding ducks a success. Below are some useful information for those who are looking into this path with ducks.For those who wish to breed ducks for ornamental purposes, you may want breed Call ducks. There are the Gray Call Duck and the White Call Duck. Their distinct characteristics seem to be that they are smaller and shorter than the average duck breed. While it is deemed as a poor egg layer, those who wish to display their ducks in poultry shows can use this duck, hence, its’ being tagged as ornamental. When breeding ducks for livelihood purposes, the Cayuga Duck breed is one of the best breeds to consider. The Cayuga is also known as the Large Black Duck and is known for its hardiness and for being a good egg layer, with eggs that are brown in color. It is easy to fatten, thus, it also provides good meat. It is, however, also recognized as a ‘threatened’ duck breed.The Crested Domestic Duck Breed is also excellent if you are breeding ducks for eggs. They are excellent egg layers and it only takes 28 days for their eggs to hatch. However, ducklings that hatch without their crests properly forming tend to die as their brains end up being exposed. If they grow into adulthood, though, they are said to weigh up to seven pounds. Their duck feed does not need to have any modifications. The Pekin Duck breed is said to be the most popular in North America. When breeding ducks for meat, the Pekin Duck is your breed of choice. Weighing 8 pounds for females and 9 pounds for males, this breed proves to be very good for the commercial market.Pekin Ducks are supposedly not well-suited for egg-laying. Still, their eggs are also put on the market and are said to be able to lay as much as 200 eggs a year or even more. They are also able to eat ordinary duck feed. At average, the Pekin duck’s eggs will only take 28 days to hatch, although it is recommended that you use an incubator when hatching eggs.

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