Created in 1949, the Welsh Harlequin is one of the newest duck breeds. Welsh Harlequin ducks are a beautiful, practical, lightweight breed known for their excellent egg production and calm, docile temperament. Although they haven’t been around long, they have gained attention quickly and are now a popular choice among homesteaders and backyard keepers.
Sometimes Call ducks look more like stuffed toys than real birds. With their chubby cheeks, adorable short bills, dark button eyes, and plump round bodies, Call ducks can solidly stake their claim as the world’s cutest duck breed. Originally used as decoys by duck hunters, they are now the most …
First documented in the early 1920s, the Magpie is a relatively modern breed with a lot to offer. They make fabulous dual-purpose homestead ducks, with their high egg-laying potential and excellent foraging, and their beautiful, unique markings make them a challenge for poultry fanciers to breed. Appearance The breed’s foremost …
There are over 25 domestic duck breeds. If you’re a beginner looking into buying ducks for the first time (or even if you already have experience with ducks), the options can be overwhelming. How do you know which breed is best for you? This is a carefully curated list of …
The Pekin duck. Oh, we’ve all seen the Pekin duck. Many “city people” and other laypeople have hardly seen any duck but the Pekin (and Mallard). They are the duck. The duck of all ducks. Pekins are also called the American Pekin, White Pekin, or Long Island Duck. They’re the …
The most striking feature of the extremely rare Dutch Hookbill duck is, of course, its curved “Roman-nosed” bill. No other duck breed has a bill like this. They’re a light breed, weighing only 3.5-5 pounds. They’re primarily used for eggs or exhibition. They lay 100-200 white, blue, or green eggs …
This is not the Rouen duck. The Rouen Clair is a completely separate breed that has slipped out of the spotlight. It doesn’t lay enough to be mentioned in any “best egg layers” lists, and it isn’t meaty enough to be mentioned in any “best meat birds” lists. Upon hearing …
The Cayuga is almost umistakable, with its solid black bill and feet and its beautiful black feathers that gleam luminescent green in bright light. These unique, stunning ducks have been classified as “Threatened” by the The Livestock Conservancy for many years, but in 2020 were upgraded to the “Watch” classification. …
The Duclair duck is an old French breed of duck that used to be an extremely popular meat bird, but is now difficult to find. Most Duclairs are either black or blue. Both have a white feather on each wing and a white “bib.” Males have an iridescent green head, …
The Buff Orpington duck is the epitome of a dual-purpose duck. For someone looking for one single “do-it-all” breed, this would be one of my first recommendations. They were created in Orpington, Kent, UK by a man named William Cook, who also created the Buff Orpington chicken. Buff was a …
The Blue Swedish (or Swedish Blue) is an attractive dual-purpose duck breed that makes a perfect addition to any homestead, hobby farm, or backyard flock. They’re classified as a heavy breed by the British Standards, and as a medium breed by the American Standard of Perfection. The American Livestock Breeds …
The Bali duck is an endangered, lightweight breed of duck that is something like a cross between a Runner and a Crested duck, having the Runner’s “bowling pin” shape, but with a fuzzy tuft on the back of their head, about the size of a golf ball, like a Crested …
East Indies are relatively rare ducks and are primarily used as ornamental birds, exhibition birds, or pets. They are shyer and quieter than other bantams, such as the Call. They forage well and are good broody ducks and mothers. Like all bantams, they fly well and will likely need to …
Australian Spotted ducks are critically endangered and underappreciated, despite their beauty, friendliness, and adorable Call-like conformation. Less than 1000 birds exist, and there are only around 500 breeding birds. Australian Spotted ducks are very friendly, one of the hardiest of duck breeds, adventurous, long-lived, and good foragers. They can also …
The Alabio duck is an unusual dual-purpose breed, highly popular in Indonesia, but unheard of elsewhere. A veterinarian named Saleh Puspo named the breed. They originate from Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Utara, Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia. Locally, in Indonesia, they are called the Itik Alabio. They were developed as a cross between …
The Silver Bantam is an extremely rare ornamental breed of duck. Confusingly, they are often called “Silver Bantam” in the UK and “Miniature Silver Appleyard” in the USA, even though they are a separate breed from the true miniature version of the Silver Appleyard. Silver Bantams are mostly kept as …
The Shetland duck is a small, critically endangered breed of duck, one of the rarest breeds in the world. They are so rare that there is currently no breed club or standard. Misinformation and contradictions about them abound throughout the web, partly because some people assume ducks to be Shetlands …
The Saxony duck is a heavy duck breed, one of the best dual-purpose breeds there is. Their status is listed as threatened by The Livestock Conservancy, meaning there are less than 1000 known breeding birds in the United States and likely less than 5000 worldwide. In 2013, Germany recorded 1173 …
Abacot Rangers are extremely rare, beautiful, dual-purpose light ducks. They’re wonderful egg-layers, good for meat, good foragers, long-lived, friendly, hardy, and absolutely gorgeous. They’re also known as the Hooded Ranger in America, the Streicherente or Streicher in Germany, and the La Canard Streicher in France. Abacot Rangers are active foragers, …
The Aylesbury is a large meat breed of duck developed in the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England in the 18th century. Their status is critical. Aylesburies are all white with a pale pink bill, orange feet, and white skin. You will often see ducks labeled as Aylesburies that have …
The Ancona duck is a large dual-purpose duck breed that’s beautiful, friendly, excellent at foraging, and has recently been experiencing a surge of popularity. For a long time, they were listed by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) as “critically endangered.” However, a census taken by the ALBC in 2015 …
The Muscovy is a very unique breed of duck. In fact, it’s not even a true duck – it’s simply called a duck. The Muscovy is to the duck world what the donkey is to the equine world. In other words, it’s a different species, although quite closely related. Crossing …
