BREED NAME
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BREED SUMMARY
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ABACOT RANGER
Standard/Large Status:
CRITICAL
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: Great Britain
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Eggs, Table, Exhibition
About: Developed as a utility breed by Mr Oscar Grey, of Colchester, England between 1917 and 1922, the Abacot Ranger is a striking looking duck and is both a good layer and good for the table. It has Indian Runner and Khaki Campbell in its bloodlines. It is lively, active and an excellent forager, making it happier in the garden than in a pen.
Weight: Standard - Male - 2.5-2.7kg; Female 2.25-2.5kg.
Bantam form?: No.
Note: This breed is likely lost in Australia. Please use the online form below if you have a breeding flock or are in the process of recreating them in Australia.
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ANCONA (non APS breed)
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: USA
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The Ancona is a medium sized duck with broken-coloured plumage. The usual color is black and white; other color varieties are: blue and white, chocolate and white, silver and white, and lavender and white. The Ancona is a good layer, producing some 210–280 eggs per year; these may be blue, green, white, spotted, cream, or tinted. It forages well, is hardy, and is capable of adapting to different environmental conditions. From http://www.openpoultrystandards.com/Ancona_Duck
Bantam form?: No
Weight: 2.25 to 3kg
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AYLESBURY
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: Britain
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table
About: The Aylesbury duck is a large, pure white duck that derives its name from the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. It is an unusually shaped bird with it's legs placed midway along its body and body parallel to the ground giving it a body described as "boat-shaped". White ducks were very popular in England in the eighteenth century as the feathers were used for quilts. This led to the development of the Aylesbury which was dual purpose as it was also a good table bird. By 1966 there was no remaining duck industry at all in Aylesbury and the breed remains critically endangered worldwide. In the United States, there are two types of Aylesbury.....exhibition and utility. The exhibition type has a very deep keel which makes it difficult for the bird to mate naturally whereas the utility type is able to breed normally. The breed is said to be good natured and friendly with quite a good "quack".
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 4.1-4.55kg; Female 3.6-4.1kg.
Photo courtesy of Marissa J. Gilbert, Whitevalley Suburban Farm
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BALI
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: Indonesia
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Ornamental, Pets
About: The Bali duck is similar in appearance to the Indian Runner duck but has a distinctive crest on the top of its head. The crest is formed from a gene that is thought to be a lethal one, meaning that if two ducks with the same bloodline breed the eggs will either not hatch or the ducklings will have deformities such as arched neck, back and balance problems and complications in the formation of the skull that will lead to death before hatching. The breed is an excellent forager and pest controller in the garden and they are good layers, capable of producing between 120 to 250 eggs per year. They are friendly in nature and make good pets but they are rare outside their native country of Bali.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 1.81-2.25kg; Female 1.36-1.8kg.
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BLACK EAST INDIAN
Standard/Large Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
Bantam Status:
OF CONCERN
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Origin: United States of America
Classification: Bantam
Uses: Ornamental, Exhibition
About: Little is known for certainty about the origins of the Black East Indian Duck. It was written about in the United States in the early 1800's and appeared in the first British Book of Standards in 1865. Some believe it developed from a northern Mallard sport while others prefer the theory the black gene may have developed from the American Black Duck. The Black East Indian in Australia has been recreated by local waterfowl enthusiasts. The breeding aim is for solid black colour, as the beak and legs are also black. The breed is flighty and good at flight, being viewed by some as a semi wild bird rather than its domestic classification. It is not a good egg layer but interestingly, the early eggs may be covered in a sooty black deposit, but will eventually return to dull white.
Standard/Large form?: No
Weight: Male 700-900g; Female 700-800g.
Photo Courtesy of Tony Glasson
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BLUE SWEDISH
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: Europe
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Exhibition, Utility with well-flavoured meat and laying from 100 - 150 eggs yearly
About: Blue ducks that became the foundation of the Blue Swedish were found in Pomerania in 1835, which was then part of Sweden but now covers north-east Germany and north-west Poland. The Blue Swedish is a medium sized bird with a calm personality making it a good pet or beginner's bird. It matures fairly slowly and is happiest if allowed to forage in orchards, gardens and paddocks, where the natural feed allows for succulent flesh. They are great at keeping the insect population down. The Blue Swedish does not like confinement and although they can fly they rarely do. The eggs are large and although generally white, can also be green or blue tinted. Even when kept singularly, the breed is inclined to go broody.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 2.7-3.6kg; Female 2.25-3.2kg.
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CAMPBELL
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: England
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Eggs, Exhibition
About: The Campbell was developed by Adele Campbell in Gloucestershire as a utility bird to provide meat for her family. The breed was produced by crossing a Rouen drake with a fawn and white Runner duck. The progeny proved to be excellent layers with top strains laying up to three hundred and forty eggs per year although you can generally expect around two hundred. In a later attempt to create the buff colour which was a fad at the time, Mrs Campbell bred her Campbell drakes back to a Penciled Runner duck. The resulting progeny colour reminded her of the British Army uniform and thus, she called them Khaki Campbells. The white variety was developed by Captain FS Pardoe in 1924 and the Dark variety by Mr HRS Humphreys. The original Campbell was standardised around 1901. They are a medium sized bird and their Runner genes give them a slightly upright stance. They are busy, hardy birds and are very adaptable, being able to withstand hot, cold, humid and arid climates very well. They do not shine as mothers and are not often broody so eggs may need to be hatched by incubator or another broody duck. They love water and are great gardeners, ridding the garden of slugs and snails and the pond of mosquitoes. Their eggs are said to be excellent in taste. The breed has a good temperament and makes a great addition to the backyard. They may however need to be watched in the veggie patch as they are apparently keen on salad greens.This could be a small price to pay for organic bug control.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 2.25-2.50kg; Female 2.00-2.25kg.
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CAYUGA
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: North America
Classification: Heavy breed
Uses: Eggs, Meat, Ornamental
About: The breed takes its name from Lake Cayuga in New York State where it was popularised. The history of the breed is a little hazy but everyone seems to agree there is wild black duck in the genetics with people suggesting maybe Mallard, maybe Rouen, maybe Crested. Whatever the history, the Cayuga produced a good natured duck prized for both meat and eggs, with the ducks laying 100-150 eggs per year. The meat is purportedly flavoursome but the carcass difficult to clean due to the black feathering, which is why the Cayuga was overtaken in meat popularity by the Pekin. However the Pekin is a much noisier option, if you like backyard ducks but have neighbours. The eggs of the Cayuga often start out black in colour but this lightens to white by the end of the laying season. The breed is an excellent forager and a good help in the garden enjoying a feed of slugs and snails. The Cayuga also changes colour as it ages, adding white feathers to the black.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 2.70-3.60kg; Female 2.25-3.20kg.
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CRESTED
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
OF CONCERN
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Origin: South East Asia
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Exhibition, Meat, Eggs
About: Crested Ducks were present in the seventeenth century and can be seen in paintings by the Dutch Masters. The two main colours ars white and black but all "duck colours" are acceptable. The Crest must be centred and symmetrical and the overall appearance of the bird is balanced and relatively upright. Unfortunately the crest is a genetic defect and is actually fatty tissue covering up a gap in the skull. The gene is also linked to seizures and neurological isues and the lethal allele combination producing it, can cause 25% of embryos to die when Cresteds are pure bred. This happens when two pure Crested ducks are mated together, along with other possible issues such as twisted necks and the brain growing outside the skull. Some non-crested ducks will also be hatched. The recommended breeding strategy is to breed a heterozygous Crested to a non-crested bird. The resulting offspring will be 50% Crested while the others will be normal ducks. The other thing of which to be aware is aggressive breeding behaviour in the drakes as if he grabs hold of the duck's crest too hard when mating it can cause serious damage. Cresteds are good layers and the meat has strong roasting qualities but they are more popular for pets and decorative value in the garden. Care must be taken to protect the skull when transporting and exhibiting them.
Weight: Standard/Large - Male 2.7-3.2kg; Female 2.25-2.7kg. Bantam
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ELIZABETH
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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AUSTRALIAN BREED
Origin: Australia
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Table
About: The Elizabeth duck is our own home grown duck, first bred at Merrylands, New South Wales, in 1972 by Mr Lance Ruting and named after his wife Ann Elizabeth Ruting. It was thought to have been developed by crossing the Rouen Clair breed with brown farm ducks of a Mallard type to create a small, fast growing, meat duck. It is a pretty duck with similar colouring to the Welsh Harlequin but smaller and stockier than the Welsh. It is currently only bred in Australia. Although primarily a table bird, the ducks are good layers and are capable of laying one hundred to one hundred and fifty eggs per year.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 1.58-1.80kg; Female 1.25-1.47kg.
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MAGPIE
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: Wales
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Eggs, Table
About: The Magpie Duck was developed by Reverend Gower Williams and Mr Oliver Drake in the years following the First World War. It is named for its distinctive black and white colouring. The breed is considered rare worldwide and the challenge in breeding the Magpie Duck is producing the even markings as the genetics of the colourings is complex. Despite the difficulties in producing the perfect colourings, the breed is easy to keep. The ducks are good layers, producing 220 to 290 mainly white, but sometimes blue or green eggs per year. The compact size makes the Magpie Duck a good table bird as well, with its meat considered gourmet quality. The breed is an active forager, happily searching for grass, seeds, insects and aquatic life. They are great gardeners, eagerly consuming slugs and snails. They have also been effective in removing liver fluke infestations from farms. Although generally a docile breed, individuals can be highly strung, so handling early is advisable. The drakes have a high libido, so a ratio of 1:5 drakes to ducks is recommended.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: 2.50-3.20kg; Female 2.00-2.70kg.
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ORPINGTON
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
OF CONCERN
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Origin: Britain
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The Orpington ducks were developed by the famous poultry breeder Mr William Cook of Kent in the late nineteenth century. The Buff and Blue versions were likely to have emerged after 1894. They were believed to be the result of crossbreeding Indian Runners to Aylesburys, Rouens and Cayugas.The Buffs were standardised in 1910 and the Blues in 1926. The breed is a handy dual purpose bird gaining weight quickly and producing good meat, as well as laying around 220 white eggs per year. The body is long and broad and the head is trim and oval in shape, while the breast is full and round. In both the Buff and Blue, the head and neck of the drake should be at least two shades darker in colour than the rest of the body. The Orpington is an active bird but docile in nature. Its stance should be slightly elevated at the shoulder but not upright.
Weight: Standard Male 2.25-3.40kg; Female 2.25-3.20kg. Bantam Male 750g-1.13kg; Female 750g-1.06kg.
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PEKIN
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: China
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
Facts: The Pekin duck is the quintessential duck, being white with an orange bill and orange legs and webs, vocal with its quacking and starting out as a fluffy yellow duckling. It was originally bred in China where it is known as the Beijing or White Lake duck. It was taken to England and the United States in the early 1870's. The breed is dual purpose producing a high number of eggs, around two hundred per year, as well as being one of the best meat producers. The Pekin has quite an upright stance and a chubby, wide appearance. They have become a popular duck as they are hardy, highly fertile, grow quite quickly and are one of the larger sized ducks, which also means they are generally unable to fly. They are friendly and easy to tame but are also gregarious and one of the noisiest ducks to own.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 3.60-4.10kg; Female 3.20-3.60kg.
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POMMERN
Standard/Large Status:
CRITICAL
Bantam Status:
CRITICAL
No photo available
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Origin: Germany
Classification: Light breed
Uses: Meat, Eggs
About: The Pommern is a landrace, found on home farms in the Pomerania district on the border of Germany and Sweden. They are kept for their beauty, but are also a dual purpose breed, used for meat and eggs. They are social and chatty birds and make great watch-birds as they tend to welcome visitors loudly. They will lay around 70 -100 eggs per year.
Weight: Standard - Male 2.25-2.7kg; Female 1.8-2.25kg. Bantam - Male 700-900g; Female 700-800g.
Note: This breed in both Standard and Bantam form is likely lost in Australia. Please use the online form below if you have a breeding flock or are in the process of recreating them in Australia.
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ROUEN
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: France
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table, Exhibition
About: The Rouen is named after the town in Northern France. Although once a favoured table bird, it is now kept mainly for exhibition. The plumage colouring of both Rouen duck and drake are nearly identical to that of the Mallard duck and drake. Rouen drakes have a gray body, white collars, black tail feathers, green heads and a deep claret breast. While the female Rouens are of mottled light and dark brown with a black crown and eye-stripes. Female Rouens can be much darker brown in color than the female Mallards. Both drakes and ducks also have blue speculum feathers. The speculum feathers of the Rouen duck are brighter in color and larger in size than the Mallard. The Rouen drake like the Mallard goes into an eclipse moult in the Summer and changes his brilliant plumage for that of the duck. The Rouen breed is a docile, heavy weight breed that is slow to mature, which is why they are not suitable for the commercial meat market. The meat is leaner than a Pekin and is good for roasting. The Rouen makes a great backyard duck as it is a good forager and a keen insect eater, but it is only considered moderate in the egg laying department, laying around 125 extra large eggs per year.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 4.10-4.55kg; Female 3.60-4.10kg.
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ROUEN CLAIR
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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Origin: France
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The Rouen Clair is a separate breed from the Rouen and was standardised separately. It is considered the modern development of the Mallard coloured ducks from the Rouen area of France. The breed is largely due to the efforts of Monsieur Rene Garry between 1910 and 1920 who selected and crossbred the Rouen ducks, using the lighter ground colour from the farms in the region. Which other breeds are in the mix is a little foggy but the Pekin is suspected to be one, due to the shape of the head, which was unknown in Europe before the Pekin arrived. The Rouen Clair is a calm and docile bird that cannot fly well. It is a good layer, producing up to two hundred eggs per year. It is slightly more erect in carriage than the Rouen and is a long bird measuring up to 90cms from beak to tail. The bird is a good forager but needs space to roam so it doesn't become overweight. A pond is essential as the heavier breeds find breeding more difficult out of water.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 3.40-4.10kg; Female 2.95-3.40kg.
Photo courtesy of Jill Weaver
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SAXONY
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
OF CONCERN
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Origin: Germany
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The beautiful Saxony duck was originally bred by Mr Albert Franz by crossing Blue Pomeranians, Rouens and German Pekins in the 1930s. He was trying to create a meat breed that would mature in ten weeks and have lighter feathers underneath. He introduced the breed at the 1934 Saxony Show but all of his stock was lost during the Second World War. He renewed his breeding program after the War and Germany recognised the Saxony breed in 1957. The colours of the drake are unlike any other breed although they do typically exhibit Mallard patterns. The birds have a gentle and calm disposition and are not flyers. The meat is excellent, being known to have more flavour and less fat than other meat breeds. They love to forage for insects so make good gardeners. The ducks are good layers, laying up to two hundred eggs per year. They are broody and will sit on eggs until they hatch. The females are quite noisy and although they do not quack as such, they make a raspy sound if excited.
Weight: Standard Male 3.20-3.60kg; Female 2.70-3.20kg. Bantam Male 1.1-1.3kg; Female 900g-1.1kg.
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SILVER APPLEYARD
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
WATCH
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Origin: Britain
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The Silver Appleyard is named after its breeder, Mr Reginald Appleyard from the famous Priory Waterfowl Farm in England. His object was to "breed and make a beautiful breed of duck, with a combination of size, beauty and lots of big, white eggs." A variety of crosses were used to accomplish this including the Rouen, Pekin and Aylesbury. The breed is described as being active, but calm, docile and friendly and will make a good pet. They like to stay close to home if being fed well. They are fast growing, reaching around 3kg by nine weeks of age and are a good meat breed, with their meat being lean and flavoursome. The ducks are also one of the best layers of the heavy breeds, laying around two hundred and fifty large white eggs per year. They will often go broody so are happy to hatch out a brood.
Weight: Standard Male 3.30-4.10kg; Female 3.20-3.60kg. Bantam Male 1.2-1.4kg; Female 1.1-1.3kg.
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WATERVALE
Standard/Large Status:
OF CONCERN
Bantam Status:
NOT APPLICABLE
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AUSTRALIAN BREED
Origin: Australia
Classification: Heavy Breed
Uses: Exhibition
About: The Watervale is one of only two waterfowl, along with the Elizabeth, that originated specifically in Australia. It was developed in the 1980s on a property in Watervale, South Australia, by Mr Holder, from a colour sport from a flock of Cayugas. Matings of Watervales back to unrelated Cayugas has proven the Watervale is a recessive mutant colour. Their size and type should be identical to that of the Cayuga. One of their characteristics is the beautiful green and black eggs they lay. The Cayuga is used to improve size and type of the Watervale but the back cross will produce all black ducklings. It is not until the subsequent generation that the colours are shown. The Watervale is extremely rare even here in Australia.
Bantam form?: No
Weight: Male 2.70-3.60kg; Female 2.25-3.20kg.
Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Nelson
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WELSH HARLEQUIN
Standard/Large Status:
WATCH
Bantam Status:
OF CONCERN
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Origin: Wales
Classification: Light Breed
Uses: Eggs, Table (but lean meat)
Facts: The Welsh Harlequin is a relatively new breed of duck developed in 1949 by Group Captain Leslie Bonnet, using Khaki Campbell sports. They were a utility breed and proved popular until disaster struck and a fox wiped out Bonnet's whole flock that were the direct descendants of the original sports. It was thought they were lost forever until it was found that Mr Eddie Grayson of Lancashire still had some of the originals that he had bought, so the breed was saved. The Welsh Harlequin is an attractive breed. It is a friendly, docile and placid breed that does not tend to fly, so is happy to forage enthusiastically for insects in the garden. They are known as being much calmer than their relative the Khaki Campbell and are hardy to most climates. The Welsh Harlequin is a good egg layer, laying up to 250 large, white eggs per year so can be used for commercial egg production. The drakes have high libido, so it is advisable to have multiple ducks to drake so the ducks do not get injured. The ducks tend to broodiness and they will happily hatch out their brood without human intervention. The gender of the ducklings can be determined with 90% accuracy shortly after hatching, by bill colour. The males will have darker bills and the females will have lighter bills ending with a spot.
Weight: Standard Male 2.25-2.50kg Female 2.00-2.25kg. Bantam 700-900g; Female 700-800g.
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