Adele Stanley On: Cayugas
Fancy Fowl|April 2017

Fancy Fowl asked the questions...

Grant Brereton
Adele Stanley On: Cayugas

Adele, how long have you kept Cayugas?

I’ve kept them since 2013. I first saw the breed at the Scottish National that year and fell in love with them. I only kept a few hens and a couple of Khaki Campbells then and was keen to add Cayugas to the flock. I found it very difficult to source stock at the time so ended up buying a dozen hatching eggs from Thainstone auction. This was my first time hatching duck eggs and I was lucky enough to hatch 11 healthy ducklings using a Brinsea Octagon.

What classification do they come under?

They are a heavy breed duck, originating from North America. They are believed to be descended from the wild black duck. The breed was standardised in America in 1874 and in Britain in 1901.

How did your strain begin?

I kept one drake and a few ducks from the original 11 and have since acquired a couple of drakes from other breeders.

What is the best approach to breeding them?

I usually get the breeding pens sorted out in February. I find a trio or quartet work well as the drakes are very active and can be quite hard on the females if penned in pairs.

How many eggs do they lay each year?

They are great layers of good size eggs and come into lay around March time. You can expect around 180 eggs a year.

Is it true that the eggs can sometimes be black, and if so is that the desired shade?

Yes the eggs are initially jet black but this will gradually lighten throughout the season to a pale grey/green colour. The shell itself is actually a light green colour and the black pigment is deposited on the outside of the egg before it is laid giving the egg a sooty appearance. Dark laying strains are desirable as they will produce offspring with good colour.

This story is from the April 2017 edition of Fancy Fowl.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 2017 edition of Fancy Fowl.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FANCY FOWLView All
What is Rare?
Fancy Fowl

What is Rare?

It would be accurate to say that many breeders and fanciers are currently concerned about their particular breed in terms of how it is regarded officially, and some may be unaware of who is looking after their interests as far as protection measures go in the face of any government-imposed cull.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2017
Our Life with La Fleche (Part1) - Cherry Tree Rare Breeds
Fancy Fowl

Our Life with La Fleche (Part1) - Cherry Tree Rare Breeds

Our story with poultry started in 2006 when Chloe then ten, announced “can we keep chickens?’’ That simple question has taken us from a collection of 4 hybrid layers to an established flock of rare breed La Flèche within ten years.

time-read
5 mins  |
June 2017
Red Mite
Fancy Fowl

Red Mite

The Poultry Keeper's Nightmare

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2017
Poultry Club News
Fancy Fowl

Poultry Club News

Poultry Club News

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2017
VICVET
Fancy Fowl

VICVET

Victoria answers more of your questions… (www.vicvet.com)

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2017
Staffordshire County Show
Fancy Fowl

Staffordshire County Show

“At last a show to report on!”

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2017
Vorwerk Bantams
Fancy Fowl

Vorwerk Bantams

Having won ‘Best Bantam Vorwerk’ at the National show every year since 2011, it is clear that breeder Jane Freeman has a real passion for the breed - the bantams in particular. We caught with her to find out more about them…

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2017
Poultry At The Rutland County Show
Fancy Fowl

Poultry At The Rutland County Show

The LPCG moved last year to The Rutland County Show after its previous location and funding was lost.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2017
A Visit To The Dutch Poultry Museum In Barneveld
Fancy Fowl

A Visit To The Dutch Poultry Museum In Barneveld

Brinsea’s Fiona Browne and Marc Braddock have been planning a visit to the Dutch Poultry Museum since the beginning of the year. Friday 14th October was world egg day and since the museum was celebrating this over the weekend it seemed a great time to visit.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2017
​BWA Championship Show
Fancy Fowl

​BWA Championship Show

Driving towards this year’s BWA Championship Show in Stroud, I remembered with fondness the same show in previous years.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2018