Saxony Ducks

I’ve raised many breeds of large duck over the years, including Pekins, Rouens, Swedish, Cayugas, and Anconas but the Saxonys have won my heart time and again. Their old timey, bucolic look is beautiful and their meat and egg production qualities make them practical winners. Back in pre-war, 1930s Germany, a farmer and poultry enthusiast, Albert Franz began developing a new multi-purpose breed of duck. He used the Rouen, German style Pekin, and Blue Pomeranian ducks in his breeding program and introduced this new variety at the Saxony Show of 1934. Most flocks of Saxony ducks didn’t survive the Second World War, so Franz renewed his breeding program afterwards. In 1957, Germany recognized them as a distinct breed.

As a meat type duck, the Saxony is an active forager and good layer with typical egg production at about 100 large white eggs annually, though our flock lays a bit less than this. The Saxonys caught my eye many years ago with their old fashioned, pastoral air, and their large yet sustainable size. The Saxonys don’t grow quite as fast as some strains of Pekin but they are beautiful, have great carcass quality with exceptional flavor, and are more active foragers. Although we use an incubator or Dorking hens to hatch our ducklings, Saxony hens are reputed to make good broody hens and dutiful mothers.

Saxonys are one of the best large all-purpose breeds of ducks and adapt well to a wide range of environments. Because we strive to produce birds that are of the proper weight, type, and color, all of our customers have access to a bird that can compete in the showroom or grace a well prepared table.