Magpie Duck Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Magpie looks like they are wearing little flat caps on their heads. The spot of black feathers that sit on their heads looks like a little cap.

These ducks have a very upright carriage similar to that of the Runner duck which is why they are believed to have Runner duck in their lineage.

It is a fairly new breed of duck having been developed in the 20th century. It is a good all-round dual-purpose breed that is great to have a pet.

The Magpie make really good show birds, are great egg layers and their meat is known to be tasty and of high quality.

Their excellent foraging abilities, friendly and calm nature make the excellent first-time duck owner ducks. Although the breed is quite rare in America!

GENERAL INFORMATION
Country of Origin:	Wales
American Poultry Association:	yes Recognized by the American Poultry Association
Duck Category:	Light
Duck Class:	English
Colors:	Black & White, Date of acceptance: 1977 Blue & White, Date of acceptance: 1977
Other known colors	Chocolate & White and Dun & White color varieties
Good starter duck?	Yes
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Bantam Variety Available?	No
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APPEARANCE / IDENTIFICATION

DUCK BITS

DESCRIPTION

COLOR

EYES⇒

Same for M & F

Dark Brown

BILL⇒

Same for M & F

Yellow

* Black bean tipped

CRESTED?

LEGS⇒

Same for M & F
Short Length

Orange

Short legs well-proportioned to the body

FEET⇒

Same for M & F
Medium Sized

Orange

WINGS⇒

Same for M & F

Dependent on the color variety

White with either black or blue on the top

FEATHERS⇒

Same for M & F

Dependent on the color variety

They are predominantly white with the black variety having black feather spread over the white on their body and a black cap on their heads.
The blue variety will have more of a blue/grey top feathering and cap.

SKIN COLOR⇒

Same for M & F

White

AVERAGE WEIGHT⇒

Adult Female:	4.5 lbs.
Adult Male:	5 lbs.
Mature:	**4 lbs. @ 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

⇒

Eggs, Show, pet and meat

Eggs⇒
	Color:	White
	Qty/Yr:	290
	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 can be broody and there are some hens that just do not get broody
Mothers:	Yes	Most ducks will take care of ducklings
Meat:	Yes	They have gourmet quality meat that is very tasty
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Pets:	Yes	They are quite friendly and very active
Show:	Yes	These lovely ladies make great show birds with this perfect posture
Prime:	7 yrs	They lay right up to between 8 to 9 years of age if they stay healthy

Males/Drakes

⇒

Breeding, meat, show and pet

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 can be a bit protective if they are protecting their hens’ eggs
Meat	Yes	Their meat is very tasty and of gourmet quality
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Pets:	Yes	Active, docile but very entertaining
Show:	Yes	They are lovely show birds with their beautiful feather coloring
Prime:	4 yrs	It is best to mate the younger drakes of up to about 4 years old

TEMPERAMENT
“Friendly, docile, active and quite calm”
Good with Kids?	They are okay around supervised kids
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Flyers?	They cannot fly very well but they can fly and will do so if spooked.
Noisy Birds?	They are not too noisy but can become quite vocal if spooked or upset
Interact with other ducks?	They do not mind socializing with other ducks
Best duck breeds to mix them with:	They will do well with most domestic breeds of ducks. Ducks, like being sociable and having, are not fussy as to the breed they socialize with.
Other animals?	There should always be at least 2 ducks in the flock.

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
“Medium to large”
Ideal Garden Size?	Medium to large as they are quite tall and need a place to stretch their legs
Can be Confined?	They do not really like confinement
Free-Range	They love to roam about the garden freely
Penned Free-Ranging?	As long as there is a large enough penned area
Foragers	Very active foragers that will keep the garden pest free
Endures heat well	Yes
Endures cold well	Yes
Special Requirements?	No
Ideal Duck House:	A well-insulated and ventilated duck hutch that can comfortably house and keep the ducks safe
Ideal Duck Pond:	Kiddies plastic splash pool or small shallow pond
Flock/Paddling Size:	Two or more ducks in the flock are always best as ducks are sociable
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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:	Welp Hatchery, Purely Poultry or check with your local poultry farmers and 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

This beautiful duck with its distinctive coloring of either black and white or blue and white was said to be developed in Wales. M. C. Gower-Williams and Oliver Drake are credited with developing this delightful bird in the early 20th Century.

They are thought to have been developed from the likes of the Indian Runner and the Huttegem duck. The Huttegem duck is an old Belgium breed of wild duck also known as the black river duck.
The Magpie bear a remarkable resemblance to this and its posture is much the same as the Indian Runner duck.

The Magpie Duck was imported to America for the first time in 1963. But the duck was not very popular until 1984 that the breed started to get more attention. It was introduced into the Standard of Perfection by the American Poultry Association in 1977.

It is still quite a rare breed in America today and is listed at the American Livestock Conservancy on the Threatened list. It is a great breed that needs more breeders to get its population numbers back up to ensure the breed is around for many years to come.

Health

No Known health issues, they are quite a hardy breed of duck that is mostly resistant to disease

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.