In the fall, mature drakes start looking more like hens. Don’t worry — it’s perfectly normal. Like other birds, ducks periodically replace their old worn-out feathers with a new set of plumage in a process called molting. Mature hens renew their feathers after the annual breeding season, too. But mature drakes go through two annual […]
Call ducks are the smallest domestic duck breed. Compact and feisty, they have tiny, round bodies, short necks, small heads, and short bills. These ducks come in numerous colors, not all of which are admitted to the American Standard of Perfection. How did this duck breed get its name? In the 1600s, Call ducks were used […]
Mandarin ducks and Wood ducks are both extremely colorful and are often mistaken for one another. Although they easily may be confused, they originate from different continents and have a few other key distinguishing features. Primary among these features is the plumage pattern of the respective drakes. First let’s look at the similarities. Mandarin Ducks […]
Maybe you already keep chickens or other poultry and are considering adding ducks. Or maybe you’re thinking of starting with ducks as your first foray into the world of poultry. To help you decide whether or not duck keeping is for you, here are some of the benefits of keeping ducks. Ducks are easy to […]
The Swedish duck has its origins in the early to mid 1800s in Pomerania, a region on the Baltic Sea that was once controlled by Sweden. The breed first came to the United States in 1884. The only variety listed in the American Standard of Perfection is the blue variety, accepted in 1904. Physical Attributes […]
The Ancona duck originated in the 1910s, yet remains a rare breed that has never been listed in the American Standard of Perfection. Cackle Hatchery® is one of its few long-term breeders, having maintained Ancona genetics since 1977. Physical Attributes Anconas are typically white and black, or any combination of white and color, in irregular […]
Ducks, like other birds, periodically replace their worn-out feathers with a full set of fresh plumage in a process called molting. Young ducks go through two consecutive molts. After maturity, the hens renew their feathers annually, while the drakes go through two annual plumage changes —the eclipse and nuptial molts. Most domestic duck breeds in […]
The White Pekin is the quintessential duck that most people think of when they hear the word “duck.” This big white duck derives from an ancient Chinese breed, the name of which translates as “ten-pound duck.” The first Pekins in the United States arrived in the early 1870s, hatched in the Chinese city of Peking, […]
The Khaki Campbell duck came about when Adele Campbell of Gloucestershire, England, wanted a dual-purpose duck that laid well, but with a good-size body for roasting. The resulting duck breed first appeared in the late 1800s. The ducks’ buff-color plumage reminded Ms. Campbell of army uniforms, hence the name Khaki Campbell. Introduced to the United […]
The Rouen duck originates from France, where farmers have raised the breed for hundreds of years. Rouens arrived in the United States in 1850 and were admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874. Physical Attributes Rouens look like Mallards, only they are considerably larger. And they don’t fly nearly as well, making them […]
The natural color of wild duck eggs is greenish or bluish. That’s because eggs with tinted shells are easier to hide from predators. Many consumers, however, prefer eggs with white shells, presumably because white represents purity. Eggs with Blue-Green Shells Wild mallards lay eggs with blue-green shells. Domestic Mallards usually lay eggs with blue-green shells, […]
Furnishing nests for your ducks to lay in helps keep the eggs clean and protects them from being cooked by sun, washed by rain, or frozen in cold weather. Eggs laid in nests are easier for you to find than eggs hidden in the grass. And, buried in nesting material under cover, they are hidden […]
Ducks and geese get along well and may be kept together in the same area. Since most domestic duck breeds don’t fly well or at all, and some are too heavy to even walk fast, and since geese tend to be aggressive toward trespassers, keeping ducks and geese together offers the ducks some measure of […]
How many eggs your ducks lay, and for how many years, depends on several factors. Most of these factors are easily within your control as the ducks’ keeper. Here are six considerations that influence how to keep your ducks laying well. Breed and Strain Some duck breeds, or strains within a breed, lay better than […]
Some breeds of duck have been developed for their outstanding laying habits. Unless this ability is maintained through continued selective breeding, though, the laying potential of the strain will decrease over time. For this reason, not all populations of a particular breed known for laying are equally up to the task. Here are four outstanding […]
The color of a Mallard’s bill indicates its state of physical and reproductive health. Therefore, Mallard ducks can choose a healthy mate by assessing the drake’s bill color. Strange, but true. Here’s how it works: Carotenoids and Free Radicals Carotenoids influence the red, yellow, and orange hues of a duck’s feathers, skin, legs, and […]
A male duck has a penis, unless it falls off. But that’s getting ahead of the story. Like most birds, chickens don’t have a penis. But ducks, geese, and other waterfowl are among the few species that do have a penis. It’s a long, corkscrew appendix that remains inside-out, tucked within the duck’s body […]
A duck’s legs and feet are made for flying and swimming, not walking. Ducks have structurally weak legs, and the most common affliction of ducks is lameness. A duck may start to limp and eventually go lame for any number of reasons. Injury Ducklings brooded on wire can get a tiny hock caught […]
Thinking about adding some waterfowl to your flock? Ducks are a great place to start. Many breeds are small, social and easy to handle, and their eggs typically have more protein and healthy fats than chicken eggs. Today we’d like to take a moment to appreciate one of our favorite duck breeds—the Welsh Harlequin. […]
Ducks have been called the New Chickens, in honor of their increasing popularity. But the first time-duck owner who attempts to manage ducks like chickens can be in for an unpleasant surprise. The two main issues are that ducks like it wet while chickens like it dry, and ducks don’t have the same sensible sleeping […]