Cayugas
Orphington
Rouen
Pekin
Indian Runner
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Khaki Campbells Cayugas Orphington Rouen Pekin Indian Runner |
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Since we moved to the country and the property has a nice dam, I decided to get some ducks. Oh, by the way our property is called Glimmermere, hence the name of the page. As I have said on my home page, I have 11 ducks. They are 2 muscovy's(one male and one female), 3 appleyard's(one male and two female), 5 Khaki Campbells (one male and 4 females), and 1 Swedish Blue(male). The muscovy male was born our property and is called Darkwing. The female was given to us and is called Daisy. We have lost quite a few muscovy babies and I don't think I will be getting anymore. The appleyard's I brought and they are beautiful (I hope to get a scanner so I can put in my own photos). I will be buying some other breeds from the same person next spring. I shall be getting Indian Runners, Welsh Harlequins, Cayugas and Elizabeths. So I may mention them, as I am gathering all the information I can. We purchased 6 Swedish Blue eggs from the Royal Melbourne Show, 2 hatched (from an incubator). One was a true blue colour, but it died. The other is a grey blue colour with an irridescent black head. He is lovely. My Khaki's are fairly plain, but still nice ducks. They all love our dam and come running everytime they hear me call to the Chooks. We had about 20 chooks and 20 chicks at one stage but I am not really into chooks and am now only interested in ducks. I love to eat duck eggs, but even when they don't lay, I just love to see them waddling around. I have 3 dogs ( a Golden Retriever , German Shepherd and a Maltese Terrier cross) who have all been taught not to chase my birds. My first Golden ( who was stolen) used to swim in the dam all the time and didn't mind the ducks and the ducks didn't mind him.
The Khaki Campbell was developed in England during the early 1900's by Adele Campbell. It was admitted to the American Standard in 1941. Though originally a cross of Indian Runner, Mallard, and Rouen, Campbells exceed all of these and most chicken breeds in egg production, with some strains averaging 300 eggs per year. They do not require special care or artificial lighting to produce a large number of eggs, which are white and weight about 2.5 ounces (not much larger than a Leghorn egg). Thought not usually raised for meat, Khakis make high quality, lean roasters of 3-4 pounds; they average 4-5 pounds as adults. Campbells are extremely hardy, are excellent foragers, and are at home on land as well as in water. They eat large quantities of slugs, snails, insects, algae, and mosquitos from ponds, but do not require swimming water to stay healthy. The ducks are mainly khaki colored and the drakes have greenish-bronze heads with brown-bronze tails, backs, and necks. They have green bills.Status: Minor. Though still not common, the Khaki Campbell is thought to be growing in popularity as an egg-layer and backyard duck. Exhibition Khakis do not have the same characteristics as production types.
The Mallard duck is the ancestor of almost all domestic breeds of ducks and clearly that of the Rouen. Though marked with the same color pattern as Mallards, with drakes having green heads, white collars, claret breast and a blue patch on the wing, Rouens are even brighter in color and larger in size than Mallards. The Rouen was developed in France and was admitted to the American Standard in 1874. It is still considered the superior meat bird in Europe, where much more duck is consumed than in America. In the U.S., Rouens are raised primarily for the restaurant market. These ducks are excellent foragers, calm in disposition and unlikely to fly. Drakes mature at about 8 pounds and ducks at about 7 pounds. Laying rate varies; some strains average 100 eggs per year and other over 150.Status: Watch. The Rouen is one of the more common non-commercial ducks in the U.S. Its market seems to be growing since it produced leaner meat than the Pekin, the standard commercial duck in the U.S. Exhibition Rouens do not have the production qualities that production types do.
The Runner ducks are the Leghorns of the duck family. They are prolific layers. Three hundred egg Indian Runner ducks were described and illustrated in the poultry press of 1912 to '14, and preceded the future for 300 egg hens which came later. In England duck egg laying contests are carried on. There are three varieties of Indian Runners, the Fawn and White, the White, and the Penciled. The breed has a distinctive type, the long, flat, straight head and long, slender neck forming, in shape, and umbrella handle and stem; the back should be long, straight and carried upright, and with the body should take on almost horizontal bearing. The type should be clean cut, there being little indication of a keel. The entire bearing should be upright and racey. As would be expected in an active, profile breed of this kind, the specimens should not have too much size. The desired weights are: Adult drake, 4 1/2 lbs.; adult duck, 4 lbs.; young drake, 4 lbs.; young duck, 3 1/2 lbs. This breed originated in India, was introduces into England as early perhaps as 1830, but was little known in the United States prior to 1900. The Indian Runner produces a small to medium size carcass, but one of good quality. The ducks are practically non-sitters and are popular because of their prolific egg production which rivals the 200 egg stains of chickens.
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