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So
you have found yourself the long dreamed for few acres of land in rural France
and now need to decide which livestock to keep and which breeds will best
suit your needs?
Every
month we will feature Traditional and Rare Breeds of livestock in France
and give a run down of the general care and management of the type of animal
you might like on your holding.
Ducks and
Drakes
Since I started keeping ducks
four years ago, I have found them to be not only undemanding in their needs,
but a source of great amusement and joy to watch both on water and the way
they poddle along in a line, make little groupings of their own 'friends'
and perform formation swimming on the pond.
France is famous for foie gras of course, and 'canard' is a popular dish
on even the tiniest village restaurants. The french breeds therefore
have been established not only for egg laying capacity, but for fine tasting
flesh and hardiness on the smallholding.
The Rouen
In the early 1800s thought to be in the region of the town of Rouen,
now a huge industrialised zone in Normandy, a large native mallard bird was
crossed with stock of increasing size. The locals, enjoying their ‘duck a
l’orange’ discussed over a bottle of Calvados how they could improve this
breed from selecting bigger and better ducklings. There are two strains
of Rouen, the Rouen Clair and the Rouen fonce. The latter is a heavier
more laborious mover, needing a good depth of pond to be happy and to mate.
The fonce(meaning dark) is bred for the heavy keel and is of darker colouring,
whereas the Clair is an active, brighter plumed bird with females much paler
in colouring.
The Duclair
Also originating from Normandy this handsome duck sports a white bib on
the breast, as opposed to the neck ring seen on the mallard drake. The
drake should weigh 3kilo, a good female 2.5kilo and the blueish green eggs
should fetch 70g. It isn't hard to see how these birds could have
been offshoots of the Rouen programme as they too were recognised and standardised
in 1923!
The Duck of Challans
The town of Challans became the birthplace of another french
gastronomic speciality when farmers traded these fine fleshed ducks, thought
to have landed in early Spanish trade ships, with the restaurants of Nantes
as early as the 18th century and are still today named on the regions menus
as a delicacy dish! The drake is an attractive bird, having all the
appearance of a Rouen, but again with a wide white bib instead of the neck
ring and of lighter weight.
Allier White
Even the french admit that the origins of this meaty Bourbonnais breed probably
stem from the British Aylesbury, although he carries himself somewhat
more upright than that master of all white plumed duck breeds!
He is of a good weight - males being of 4kilos, females of 3kilos and
eggs attaining 80g. A fast growing, stocky and hardy duck, the female
lays earlier than usual.
The Bourbourg
Between Calais and Dunkirk, the town of Bourbourg has its own breed of white
duck which has never spread much further afield since its origins in the late
19th century. It nearly disappeared completely between the wars, but
is now being revived locally by enthusiasts. Its ancestry again comes
from Aylesburys and the Mertcham duck from Belgium giving it a distinct
pinkish white bill, yellowish tarsus, dark eyes and horizontal carriage.
A heavy bird again originating as a table speciality!
The Estaires
On the banks of the Lys river which passes through Estaires just to the
west of Lille in the north, is a small white duck, thought to have Pekin
ancestry. It is only 2 to 2.5 kilo, but is a good layer and matures
fast. Not considered as tasty as the Bourbourg and little known
outside the Estaires region it is becoming increasingly rare, but enthusiasts
are continuing to keep numbers going.
Housing and Management
A safe house at light need only be a dry shed with straw. Nesting boxes
will ensure your eggs dont get laid in the mud, but ducks are less fussy
about where they lay than your hen! My advice - Dont eat the mucky ones!
As their feet are not as agile as a hen for example, be aware that rough
ground or too steep sides to the pond can cause accidents and injury.
Ducks are undoubtedly happier on water, but provided they have enough depth
to clean their beaks and have a splash on a regular basis, you dont need the
two hectare lake to keep them! A small man made pond, provided it can
be cleaned and not allowed to go stagnant will please even the larger breeds.
Feeding
If allowed free range, ducks will
find a large percentage of their food. They are great for clearing
slugs from the winter cleared veg patch, and will come home with dirty beaks
after rooting out all the bugs! They will of course clear the
lettuces and cabbages given the chance. They love greens, soaked bread
and cake, but if you want good layers or are fattening for the table you
must feed the appropriate pelleted food or grains.
The problem of free range is the squishy droppings they leave all over your
nice gravel drive! So if you prefer to keep them in a run, provide
a good chickenwire fence, rotate the patch to prevent stale areas which are
a haven for germs, clip their wings twice a year and they will be quite
happy!
Visit the rare breed survival trust for France FERME.
The author is also very helpful and answers his emails promptly!
at http://www.chez.com/ferm/
You will find a variety of livestock
for sale on the Freeads pages! click on link above
Next month - October - we will look at Sheep!
TELL ME YOUR TIPS or FAVOURED
BREEDS
....email ukgrapevine@free.fr (plse cut and paste) and
share your knowledge?
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