Domestic Animal Breeds

Duclair Duck Breed – Everything You Need to Know


Even the name of this pretty birds makes it a great bird to own. The Duclair duck is a great egg layer, meat and show bird (although it is not a recognized standard by the APA). The Duclair duck is said to be the best duck around for roast duck with an outstanding flavor and meat quality.

For a first-time duck owner, this is one of the best breeds to get. They love to free range and take care of themselves as they are excellent hunters and foragers. They are also calm, gentle and get very tame they more they get to know their humans.

They dig out all sorts of crustaceans, worms, flies, spiders and at the top of their menu are slugs and snails. Your garden is bound to be pest free in no time at all with these beauties. They will also give you lots of lovely large eggs for the best nutrition and great textured cakes.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Country of Origin: France
American Poultry Association: yes Recognized by the American Poultry Association
Duck Category: Not Categorized
Duck Class: Not Classified
Colors: Black, Blue,White
Good starter duck? Yes
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Other names known by: Duclair Enten (German) and Canard Duclair (French)
Bantam Variety Available? No
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APPEARANCE / IDENTIFICATION

DUCK BITS DESCRIPTION COLOR
EYES⇒ Same for M & F Dark Brown/Black
BILL⇒ Same for M & F Yellow/Mottled/Brown
*Black bean tipped
CRESTED? No
LEGS⇒ Same for M & F Orange
FEET⇒ Same for M & F
Medium Sized 		Orange
WINGS⇒ Same for M & F Blue and Black Varieties have either brown or black wings
The Blue and Black Variety have a single white feather on their wings. The White variety is pure white
FEATHERS⇒ Same for M & F Blue variety is mainly completely brown
The black variety is completely black with a greenish sheen
The females are duller in color than the males. Both Blue and Black varieties have a white bib. The white variety is pure white
SKIN COLOR⇒ Same for M & F White
AVERAGE WEIGHT⇒
Adult Female: 6 lbs.
Adult Male: 7 lbs.
Mature: **5 – 6 lbs. @ 7 – 8 weeks old
*Bean: This is also called the nail. It is a small round bump found at the end of the duck’s bill. It is used for defence and to catch insects. It is almost like a fingernail and is damaged can grow back. It can also get overgrown much like fingernails if they do not have something to grind it down on.
** Note: This is an average weight for the male duck and not a guaranteed weight

USE/PURPOSE

Females/Hens

⇒
Eggs, Meat, Breeding and pets
Eggs⇒
Color: Blue or Green
Qty/Yr: 80 – 100
Size: Medium
They will start to try hatch eggs from their first lay
Start to lay around 25 to 30 weeks old. They lay consistently through the year
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Broody: Yes They are quite broody and will site their eggs
Mothers: Yes They make fairly good mothers
Meat: Yes Their meat is revered by most top chefs as the best duck meat
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Pets: Yes They are quite friendly and calms
Show: Yes They can be shown but are not recognized by the APA
Prime: 7 yrs They lay right up to between 8 to 9 years of age if they stay healthy

Males/Drakes

⇒
Breeding, meat and pets
Breed: Yes Should only start to breed them at 6 months old
Start: – Start to get fertile at around 3 – 4 months
No. Females 5 For every 1 drake in a flock
Aggressive No They are calm and gentle. They get a bit touchy if looking after their hen(s) nests though
Meat Yes Exceptionally good meat that is revered at top 5-star restaurants
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Pets: Yes They are really good pets
Show: Yes The can be shown but are not recognized by the APA
Prime: 4 yrs It is best to mate the younger drakes of up to about 4 years old

TEMPERAMENT

“Friendly and calm”
Good with Kids? They can be around supervised, kids
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Flyers? They do not fly
Noisy Birds? Not that noisy but they can be a bit chatty when the mood takes them
Interact with other ducks? They interact well with other ducks as they can be quite social
Best duck breeds to mix them with: Any domesticated breed of duck .
Other animals? They do not fuss around other domestic animals. But you should always watch dogs and cats around any kind of bird

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
“They are a hardy breed that likes to forage and fend for themselves. So, like a bit of ground to do so”
Ideal Garden Size? Small, medium to large and or homestead/farm
Can be Confined? No-They prefer being out and about wondering freely
Free-Range This is their ideal environment where they can hunt for pests in the garden
Penned Free-Ranging? As long as there is enough fresh foraging ground for them to hunt
Foragers They are excellent foragers who will avidly rid your garden of slugs and snails
Endures heat well Yes
Endures cold well Yes
Special Requirements? No
Ideal Duck House: A decent sized hutch what is well ventilated and insulated
Ideal Duck Pond: Plastic splash pool or small shallow pond for dipping in
Flock/Paddling Size: Two or more
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GOOD TO KNOW
Special Care/Attention Requirements? They have no special needs
Known Predators: Check with animal control in your area for known predators
Conservations Status: Not Listed For more information on poultry, conservation status, check the American Livestock Conservancy Website
Breeders Clubs: It is best to check with the American Poultry Association for various clubs and or organizations.
Where to buy them: Purely Poultry, Metzer Farms or check with your local poultry farms or suppliers, the APA
or check with the American Livestock Conservancy
Other: If you do not want to risk having your ducks shipped check with your local poultry farms for advice on your nearest supplier.

HISTORY

The Duclair duck comes from France and was named after the town where it was found. The town of Duclair in Normandy France.
The Duclair is a type of Rouen duck with the blue variety looking very similar to the Swedish Blue. In fact, some people cannot tell the two breeds apart.

This beautiful duck has a sweet quiet nature and is a prolific layer of large bluish-green eggs. Their meat is also lean and well know to taste like a mix of veal and lamb.

They have a single white feather on each wing which is unique to their characteristic and are quite fast to mature reaching their table weight at around eight weeks old.

Health

They do not have any known health issues

  • Ducks need water to ensure they do not get “wet feather” disease. This is where the preening gland dries out. Water also stops them from getting pests such as mites, fleas, ticks, lice, etc.
  • Well, fed ducks should hardly have any health issues.
  • Any birds kept in a flock need to be dewormed. Although ducks are not as prone as other poultry they should still have a de-worming regime. Speak to a local vet or poultry experts for advice. Our article on Healthy Ducks has some great tips and advice on de-worming ducks.

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