Ducks & Geese:

We have always kept ducks, but at the moment we only have a pair of Cayuga ducks.  These are large black ducks, with a glorious green sheen to their feathers.  They are large ducks and not overly mobile, however they produce a good sized carcass and also lay quite a lot of big blue eggs. 

We also keep a pair of Brecon Buff geese.  These are lovely looking geese and also have a good temperament.  This year they hatched their first brood of goslings and have made wonderful parents.  Their offspring are doing well and although they will produce a smaller carcass than the commercial birds they are still a good size.

On top of this we always rear a flock of commercial white geese for Christmas.  These are kept in the orchard and grow well on grass and mixed corn.  They act as great lawnmowers, although they can damage the trees so it is important to provide them with some rotting wood.  They will always tinker with things so ensure that everything you leave within their reach is secured.  We once left the water pipe in their pens and came home to find that they had opened  the tap and released 3000 litres of water all over the chicken pen!

Goose has become quite trendy for Christmas recently and this is well founded.  The meat is wonderful and tastes great.  A far superior bird than turkey or chicken.