Mallard Duck Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Mallard duck is said to be one of the most abundant duck breeds in the world. It is found nearly all the world too. In some countries it is said to be an invasive species there are so many of them.

They are the most common ducks that are often seen in waterways, ponds and other smaller bodies of water. They are dabbling ducks that although are generally wild they can easily be tamed and domesticated.

They are not the best of egg layers but will lay at least one large egg a day. Although if domesticated they are mainly kept for show or ornamental purposes Mallard meat is quite lean and delicious have a wild taste to it. Like most game meat.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Country of Origin:	North America
American Poultry Association:	yes Recognized by the American Poultry Association
Duck Category:	Bantam
Duck Class:	American
Colors:	Gray, Date of acceptance: 1961 Snowy, Date of acceptance: 1987
Good starter duck?	Yes
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Other names known by	Canard Colvert (French) or de collar (Spanish)
Bantam Variety Available?	Mallard Duck breed is a Bantam breed of duck
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APPEARANCE / IDENTIFICATION

DUCK BITS

DESCRIPTION

COLOR

EYES⇒

Same for M & F

Dark Brown

BILL⇒

Differs in M & F

M – Yellow
F – Black & Orange

* Black bean tipped

CRESTED?

LEGS⇒

Same for M & F
Short Length

Orange

Medium length and well-proportioned to their bodies

FEET⇒

Same for M & F
Medium Sized/td>

Orange

WINGS⇒

Differ in M & F

F – Brown Penciled with a blue stripe
M – Usually white with brown edges and a few blue underneath

FEATHERS⇒

Differ in M & F

F – Reddish brown
M – Depending on the variety

F – has straight tail feathers
M – has curled tail feathers and either a blue or green head. He also has a white ring around his neck.

SKIN COLOR⇒

Same for M & F

White

AVERAGE WEIGHT⇒

Adult Female:	36 oz.
Adult Male:	40 oz.
Mature:	**36 oz. @ 12 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

⇒

Show, pet, ornamental, eggs and can be used for meat

Eggs⇒
	Color:	White or greenish-blue
	Qty/Yr:	140
	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	Excellent brood hens
Mothers:	Yes	They make both excellent moms and foster moms
Meat:	Yes	Their meat is of a delicate flavor and is quite lean
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Pets:	Yes	Their wild natures can make them a little unpredictable
Show:	Yes	They are well known as show birds
Prime:	7 yrs	They lay right up to between 8 to 9 years of age if they stay healthy

Males/Drakes

⇒

Breeding, ornamental, show, pet and can be used for its meat

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 very calm and cool birds
Meat	Yes	A very delicate flavored meat that is nice and lean
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Pets:	Yes	But they can be a bit wild and skittish
Show:	Yes	They make beautiful show birds
Prime:	4 yrs	It is best to mate the younger drakes of up to about 4 years old

TEMPERAMENT
“They can be calm and friendly birds, but they tend to keep a bit of their wild nature in them. This can make them unpredictable at times.”
Good with Kids?	Good around supervised kids depending on the bird and its upbringing
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Flyers?	They are excellent flyers it may be wise to have their wings clipped if in a built-up area
Noisy Birds?	They can get a bit loud when upset but otherwise, they are relatively quiet birds
Interact with other ducks?	They are sociable creatures that get along with most other ducks and birds
Best duck breeds to mix them with:	Any domestic breed of duck will complement the Mallard flock
Other animals?	They tend to avoid larger animals. Always watch dogs and cats around your ducks

IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
“They are semi-wild ducks and as such like to have open spaces to forage about in.”
Ideal Garden Size?	Small to medium
Can be Confined?	They do not really like to be cooped up
Free-Range	The wild side of their nature enjoys space and freedom
Penned Free-Ranging?	If there is a good amount of space to roam about in
Foragers	They are excellent at digging up and catching bugs in the garden
Endures heat well	Yes
Endures cold well	Yes
Special Requirements?	No
Ideal Duck House:	A duck hutch should always be safe and secure as well as well ventilated and insulated. It should be big enough to comfortably house all the ducks
Ideal Duck Pond:	A small pond or splash pool for them to dip in
Flock/Paddling Size:	Ducks need at least two in a flock they are sociable creatures that like to have another duck to paddle and chat to
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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 any local poultry supplier or poultry farm, 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 Mallard is basically the main ancestor to most of if not nearly all of the domestic duck breeds found today.

They are native to many countries but were first known to have bred through Subtropical America, Europe, Asia and North Africa.

The breed was introduced to Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Peru, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands.

It is now one of the best known and could be the most plentiful breed of duck on the planet.

The name Mallard duck originated from an old French word mallart which meant wild duck. And the name was used to refer to any male wild drake.

The Mallard is also known as Pato de collar in Spanish and Canard Colvert in French.

Although there is still a high enough number of Mallards their numbers are dropping due to excessive hunting. This is also due to the destruction of the wetlands which is the Mallards as well as many other species habitats.

Health

They have no known health issues. Duck is less susceptible to disease than other birds such as chickens

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.