Englishman Reginald Appleyard developed this hardy and colorful duck in the 1940's.  In size, confirmation, and mothering ability they compare very similar to the Australian Spotted.  Their plumage closely resembles the Snowy Call Duck.  Miniature Appleyards are extremely rare, hardy, and ornamental bantam duck.  Miniature Silver Appleyards make great setters, mothers, and are one of the hardiest of the bantam duck breeds.

Mature adults typically weigh 30 - 36 ounces.  Females tend to get more color with age.

Other Colors: Miniature Chestnut Appleyards

The British Waterfowl Association: Bantam ducks are now given a separate category from Call Ducks since the Calls are so numerous, and now have nine standard colours. Domestic waterfowl in the Bantam category are either miniatures or bantams. The Miniature Appleyard is 1/3 the size of the Large Silver Appleyard. Bantam weights like the Silver Bantam duck are strictly 1/4 the size of larger strains. The oldest breed of Bantam Duck is the Black East Indian - which has nothing to do with the East Indies. The name was perhaps coined to sell the bird; the breed was actually developed in the USA and became an early import and favourite in the UK. Good specimens are real eye-catchers. Paul Ives (1947) comments 'In 1943 the committee of three professional artists invited to select the most beautiful bird in the Boston Poultry Show, from a purely artistic standpoint . . . selected a Black East Indian drake as the most beautiful bird among 5000 specimens of all varieties of land and waterfowl.'

The other breeds of Bantam ducks are relatively recent. The Silver Bantam was developed by Reginald Appleyard. It originated as a cross between a small Khaki Campbell and a Call duck and was standardized in 1982, though Appleyard unveiled it in 1950. It looks rather like the Abacot ranger in colour.

The Silver Appleyard Miniature was developed by Tom Bartlett in the 1980s. It is a replica of the large Silver Appleyard duck, only 1/3 the size. In the rush for this popular breed, the Bantam tended to get neglected, but seems to be making a comeback at present.

The Crested Miniature is also a late twentieth century addition. Its first show category was in the British Waterfowl Association National Show at Malvern in 1994, and it was standardized in 1997.

Both Calls and Miniatures have become very popular as pet ducks in the last 30 years. They are cheap to keep and are ideal garden pets. Their popularity probably rose after the banning of wildfowl, such as Mandarins and Carolinas, in exhibition pens in the UK.

More info.: The Mini Appleyard is an adorable bantam duck breed. In the 1940's, Reginald Appleyard of England, developed a new breed of duck which he named Appleyard. Laying a tremendous amount of white eggs and weighing about 8 pounds, which is very large for a standard duck, these lovely ducks were very appealing. They sold quickly. Since these ducks were in such demand, he developed a miniature type of these ducks which he named Mini Appleyards. The Mini Appleyard, weighing at maturity 30-36 ounces, is one of the two most hardy of the bantam breeds of ducks, the other being the Australian spotted. These two types of bantam ducks also lay more eggs than any of the other bantam ducks. Another asset of the splendid Mini Appleyards is that they are exceptional mothers and make outstanding brooders for hatching eggs, better than most of the other miniature ducks.