We raise three different kind of ducks: Cayuga, Dark Rouen, and Khaki Campbell ducks.

We raise three different kind of ducks: Cayuga, Dark Rouen, and Khaki Campbell ducks. While we hatch a lot of our own eggs every year we also invest in some hatching eggs from outside sources in order to get some fresh blood into the flock.

All three breads of ducks can be found on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy list. The Rouen and the Khaki Campbell on the watch list and the Cayuga on the threatened list.

Cayuga: The Cayuga is a breed used for egg and meat production. The Cayuga name is taken from Cayuga Lake, which is one of the lakes in the Finger Lakes chain, in the state of New York. The traditional story for the development of this breed is that a miller in Dutchess County captured two wild black ducks and removed their pinion joint to keep them at his pond. The offspring of this pair was prized for flavorful meat and breeding efficiency. The Cayuga is a medium sized bird and was recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1874.

The Cayuga is a medium sized bird and was recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1874. The standard weight for adult males is 8 Lbs and females 7 Lbs. The Cayuga is known for their black beaks and feathers, their legs and feet are also black. The ducklings are black when they hatch. The Cayuga is a very friendly duck with a low and quiet quack. We found that they absolutely love to eat snails, worms, slugs and potato bugs along with any other insect that comes their way. They start out catching flies in the brooder boxes almost immediately after they have been transfered from the incubator.

Dark Rouen: the Dark Rouen is a duck that resembles a Mallard: they have green heads, white collars, a deep claret breast and blue speculum feathers (the speculum is the patch formed by colorful or iridescent secondary feathers on the wings). However supposedly their feathers are brighter in color and the bird itself is larger in size than the Mallards. The Dark Rouen finds its origin in France, but the bird we know today was refined in Great Britain during the 1800 hundreds. The French version resembled a larger than average Mallard. By selective breeding the British managed to double the size of the bird, improve its coloration, and add bulk, giving it a more "boat-like" aspect.

It was used chiefly as a roasting bird; though it produced 35 to 125 eggs a year. The Rouen was introduced into the United States in the 1850's by D. W. Lincoln of Worcester, Massachusetts, where they were used as general farm ducks until becoming popular as show birds. They were included in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874

Khaki Campbell: Khaki Campbell is a breed of duck kept for its level of egg production. The egg production of the Campbell breed can exceed even the most efficient of egg laying domestic chickens, with the breed laying an average of 300 eggs a year. The breed was developed by Adele Campbell of England at the end of the 19th century. In the late 1800s Adele Campbell purchased a Fawn and White Indian Runner Duck which was an exceptional layer (195 eggs in 197 days) and crossed it with a Rouen in an attempt to create a strain that would lay well and have bigger bodies.

The offspring were crossed with Mallards to increase their hardiness. The resulting birds were prolific layers. The "Campbell" breed was introduced to the public in 1898. In an attempt to create a more attractive buff-colored duck Mrs. Campbell crossed her original Campbells with Penciled Runner ducks. The resulting color reminded Mrs. Campbell of British army uniforms, so she named these new ducks "Khaki Campbell".