Ducks and Geese - Raising Small Animals - page 150

Pekin: The Pekin is the most common breed of domestic duck. These white ducks are great
for meat production as they grow rapidly and pack on more pounds of meat per pound of feed
than other ducks. The Pekin duck was developed in China from ducks living in the canals of
Nanjing. An adult female will lay about 200 eggs a year. They are not as broody as other
ducks, so they might not sit on a nest. Drakes can weigh more than 12 pounds and females
more than 11 pounds.
Rouen: The Rouen breed is similar in coloring to the wild Mallard. They were originally de-
veloped in France and were imported to England where the breed was bred into the modern-
day Rouen. There are two types of Rouen: the production and the standard. The production
Rouen weighs between 6 and 8 pounds; the standard Rouen is much larger and weighs
between 8 and 10 pounds. Females lay about 70 greenish eggs a year. They are good meat
producers but take from six to eight months to mature. This slow maturation rate has lead to
commercial duck growers to be reluctant to raise Rouen's on a large scale for the meat mar-
ket. The meat from the Rouen is leaner than the Pekin, which makes it a popular duck for res-
taurants.
Muscovy: The Muscovy is unique in that it was not developed from Mallards. It is a Brazilian
breed that can become quite large; males can weigh in at more than 10 pounds. They come in
a variety of colors, but they all have a distinctive bright red tissue above the beak and around
the eyes. They do not swim much because they have underdeveloped oil glands, which makes
their feathers less water resistant than other breeds, but they do have sharp claws, which they
use to roost in tree branches. The females become broody three times a year and will incubate
the eggs of other ducks or poultry species. If you have eggs from another duck, the Muscovy
can hatch them for you.
Cayuga: This breed was developed in New York in the 1800s from native ducks. They are
considered a medium-weight duck primarily used as a meat bird. Adult males reach 8 pounds.
They have unique coloring with a greenish-blue sheen over dark feathers. Eggs from the Cay-
uga can be variable colors depending on the season. When they first start laying eggs, the
eggs may have a gray or black color. As the laying season progresses, the eggs will start to
lose this dark coloring and may even become white.
Goose Breeds