East Indie Duck Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The East Indie duck is a Bantam duck breed that is believed to have originated in the USA.
They are not the best layers of eggs, but their eggs are bound to be a conversation piece at the dinner table.

The hens have been known to lay black to dark gray medium sized eggs. These will become lights depending on the season they start at a black/dark gray and will eventually become a light gray near the end of the laying season. They do not lay many eggs in a year though.

They are mainly kept for show and ornamental purposes with their beautiful shiny plumage that glistens with either blue or green sheen. They, as with most Bantam duck breeds, are excellent flyers so you may have to watch this if you live in a built-up area.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Country of Origin:	North America
American Poultry Association:	yes Recognized by the American Poultry Association
Duck Category:	Bantam
Duck Class:	American
Colors:	Black, Date of acceptance: 1874
Good starter duck?	Yes
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Bantam Variety Available?	No
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Other names known by	Black East Indian

APPEARANCE / IDENTIFICATION

DUCK BITS

DESCRIPTION

COLOR

EYES⇒

Same for M & F

Black

BILL⇒

Same for M & F

Black

* Black bean tipped

CRESTED?

LEGS⇒

Same for M & F
Short Length

Dusky Black

FEET⇒

Same for M & F
Medium Sized

Black

WINGS⇒

Same for M & F

Black with a green sheen

FEATHERS⇒

Same for M & F

Black with a beautiful green sheen

Males head is fuller and more green than that of the females

SKIN COLOR⇒

Same for M & F

Dark

AVERAGE WEIGHT⇒

Adult Female:	22 oz.
Adult Male:	26 oz.
Mature:	**25 oz. @ 10 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

⇒

Ornamental, show and pets

Eggs⇒
	Color:	Black/dark grey and fades depending on the season
	Qty/Yr:	100
	Size:	Small
	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 have been known to go broody
Mothers:	Yes	They can make good mothers
Meat:	No
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Pets:	Yes	They make great little pets
Show:	Yes	They are quite prized show birds
Prime:	7 yrs	They lay right up to between 8 to 9 years of age if they stay healthy

Males/Drakes

⇒

Breeding, Show 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 have a calm gently temperament
Meat	No	They are not that big
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Pets:	Yes	They make great little pets
Show:	Yes	They make excellent pets
Prime:	4 yrs	It is best to mate the younger drakes of up to about 4 years old

TEMPERAMENT
“Gentle, Calm and sweet little ducks”
Good with Kids?	They are good with supervised kids
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Flyers?	They are excellent strong flyers
Noisy Birds?	They are pretty quiet especially compared to some breeds and chickens
Interact with other ducks?	They will interact with other ducks but prefer those of their size
Best duck breeds to mix them with:	Any domestic duck breed preferably another Bantam breed
Other animals?	They avoid another domestic animal. Take care with dogs and cats around the ducks

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
“They like to be close to home but should be penned or have their wings clipped”
Ideal Garden Size?	Small to medium
Can be Confined?	Yes
Free-Range	They are excellent hunters
Penned Free-Ranging?	Yes
Foragers	Yes
Endures heat well	Yes
Endures cold well	Yes
Special Requirements?	No
Ideal Duck House:	A decent sized well insulated and ventilated safe hutch that will comfortably house all the ducks
Ideal Duck Pond:	Small shallow pond or kiddie’s plastic splash pool
Flock/Paddling Size:	Two or more duck companions in the flock
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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, Omlet US or a poultry dealer or farmers near your locations, 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

Although this duck is called the East Indies duck it was developed in America during the 19th century. Because Exotic birds were a big deal in the early 19th century the duck was probably given this name in order to ensure it was a draw.

Its beauty and size have made it very popular with the poultry fanciers who keep and raise them as show birds.

Even though the breed was developed in America the English beat us to having the duck standardized in the United Kingdom.

The duck breed was standardized in the UK in 1865 but only accepted into the Standards of Perfection by the APA in 1874.

Although the breed can be friendly and is rather a quiet shy breed, caution must be given around mating season or a duck/drake is looking after a nest of eggs.

Although the bird’s plumage is mostly black or blue they will start to develop white feathers as they age. This is a normal process that no amount of selective breeding has been known to breed out.

But if the duck is mated to a good breeding male they will have the cutest little black ducklings. They also have black legs and bills with the blue variety having a deep purple-blue bill and legs.

They do tend to make a great back garden duck in addition to the flock as they are beautiful (making excellent show birds) and they have quite a wonderful nature too. They are hardy for their size and make a good starter duck. Their average weight is around 400 grams for the female and 900 grams for the male.

It must be noted that they can be a shy bird but if hand reared they become very tame, friendly are such loyal little ducks!

Health

They do not have 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.