Innisfree

We started off with just a Khaki Campbell drake and two ducks and have now extended our little home flock to eight Khaki Campbell ducks and 3 Silver Appleyards.

It has to be said that the Khaki Campbells are arguably the most useful breed of duck as they lay more eggs than any other breed of bird on the planet - an average of 300 a year for four years. The eggs are equivalent to an XL large hen egg, weighing on average about 80g which means that a box of eggs weighs almost half a kilo. The shell is a shade of pearl-white and quite a lot harder than that of a hen egg.

We find no discernible difference as regards taste between them and hen eggs. Some of the locals refuse point-blank to eat them as they had to eat them as children and didn't like the taste, finding it quite strong. This is a fairly common reaction when people learn that we keep ducks. Years ago, the eggs were usually blue or green in colour rather than the pearl-white that the Campbells lay. Apparently, this is a result of breeds of ducks that are more closely related to the wild mallard from whence most domestic breeds originate.

The Khaki Campbell breed resulted of a cross between a Rouen, a large table duck, and an Indian runner, a lighter breed than the Rouen with the characteristic of standing upright. The duck was the result of a cross made by a Mrs. Campbell in Uley, Gloucestershire when trying to provide her husband with a nice roast duck every Sunday. She though the colour resembled that of the uniform worn by soldiers in the Boer Wars.

The Khakis are also reknowned for their foraging abilities and would really require very little in the way of food from us if we didn't expect so many eggs from them. It is often said that they can be kept without providing them with access to water but we thought that it would be cruel to do so and so we dug a large pond for them. It's now more of a large muddy pool since they adore digging in it! They race over to it first thing every morning and simply love swimming and bathing in it.

The most recent additions to our flock are three Silver Appleyards, a heavier breed which was bred more for the table than for eggs by a Mr. Appleyard of Ixworth, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. However, they are reputed to lay about 150 eggs per year. I read recently that they are considered to be the gourmet roasting duck which doesn't please my vegetarian wife and daughter!