The white Aylesbury duck is, and deservedly, a universal favourite.
Aylesburys are good natured and friendly, although they do have quite a loud quack. It is a large duck with pure white feathers. Due to their size they do require space. They also need access to water or a pond and a fox proof house. They cannot fly.
Most ‘Aylesbury’ Ducks you see these days are sadly not pure breeds. They are a cross between aylesburys and pekin Ducks, and named Cherry Valley due to the speed of growth meaning they are cheaper to raise. The public perception of an Aylesbury duck is rather different from the show standard. To the layman, any white duck is an Aylesbury, even if it has a yellow bill. This means the breed is actually much rarer than many imagine.
This has left Pure Aylesbury ducks endangered, they are on the Rare Breed Survival Trust watchlist.
Eggs: 40-100 a year
Conservation Status: Endangered