Duck Breeds

Duck Breeds: Egg, Meat, Ornamental, Indigenous and Hybrid Types

Ducks are important domestic poultry species raised for egg production, meat production, and ornamental purposes. Several breeds and types have been developed with distinct characteristics related to productivity, body conformation, plumage, growth rate, and adaptability. This article covers major egg-type, meat-type, ornamental, indigenous, and hybrid duck breeds, along with their important characteristics and uses.

Domesticated breeds of ducks can be classified based on three purposes:

• For Egg Production: Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner
• For Meat Production: Pekin, Aylesbury, Rouen, Muscovy
• For Ornamental Purposes: Buff Orpington, Mandarin, Crested White

Egg-Type Breeds of Duck

Khaki Campbell

• Campbell ducks were developed by Mrs. Campbell during the beginning of the 19^th century by crossing Rouen (male line) with Indian Runner (female line).
• Khaki Campbell is a variety resulting from color selection of the Campbell breed.
• The base color is khaki. The drake has a lustrous greenish-bronze color on the head and neck up to the sternum, while the remainder of the body is various shades of khaki. The duck has uniform shades of khaki throughout the body, making it useful for sex differentiation.

Indian Runner

• It derives its name from its place of introduction, East India.
• It has a perpendicular carriage, which is the outstanding feature of this breed.
• It does not have pronounced shoulders, and its body shape and carriage resemble those of penguins.
• Three standard varieties are recognized: Fawn, White, and White Penciled.
• They are excellent layers and formed the female line used to develop Campbell ducks.

Meat-Type Breeds of Duck

Pekin

• These ducks originated in China.
• White Pekin is the most popular duck. The plumage is creamy white, the flesh is yellow, and the bill and legs are deep orange.
• The adult body weight of the drake and duck is 4 kg and 3 kg, respectively.
• Early maturity, good fleshing, and good laying capacity are special features of this breed.

Aylesbury

• Native to England.
• The plumage is spotless white in both sexes. The legs and feet are orange. It is larger than Pekin, and the adult drake and duck weigh around 4.5 kg and 4 kg, respectively.

Rouen

Originated in France. Once upon a time, this breed formed the basis (male line) for developing Campbell ducks.

White Ducks

These are mainly produced by crossing White Pekin and Aylesbury ducks.

Muscovy

• Originated in South America. The males do not have drake feathers and have a knob on the head resembling a crest. When Muscovy ducks are crossed with other ducks, the progeny are sterile and are called “Mule ducks.” They have a high growth rate and lean meat and are used for meat production. The incubation period is 35 days.
• The plumage is spotless white in both sexes. The legs and feet are orange. It is larger than Pekin, and the adult drake and duck weigh around 4.5 kg and 4 kg, respectively.

Ornamental-Type Breeds of Duck

Buff Orpington, Mandarin, Crested White, etc.

In India, 90–95 percent of ducks are indigenous or nondescript types, which are hardy, have mediocre egg production, and are highly suitable for extensive rearing systems.

Indigenous Duck Breeds

• Sythetmet and Nageswari ducks of the northeastern states
• Kuttanad ducks of Kerala (Chara and Chemballi)
• Aarani ducks of Tamil Nadu

Hybrid Ducks

• Cherry Valley (egg and meat type)
• Legarth (meat type)
• Hytop (Mule duck)