Domestic Ducks

Two species of ducks, the mallard and the Muscovy, have been domesticated. The mallard was first domesticated in China hundreds of years ago and there are several different breeds. Domesticated ducks are raised for their meat and, to a lesser extent, for their eggs. Some are kept as pets or for show.

Domestic ducks include the following types:

Despite the name, the Muscovy is native to tropical America, not to Russia. Mature Muscovy ducks may be white, or black with yellow and white spots. The drakes weigh about 10 pounds (4.5 kg); the hens, 6 pounds (2.7 kg). The bird is raised for its meat.

The Muscovy is Cairina moschata.

This is the most popular domestic meat duck. Its feathers are white or creamy and the bill is orange-yellow. Adults weigh from eight to nine pounds (3.6 to 4 kg). The Pekin, originally bred in China, is a breed of mallard.

Also a mallard meat duck, the Rouen is colored much the same as the wild mallard. The drake weighs about nine pounds (4 kg), the hen about eight pounds (3.6 kg). The Cayuga and Aylesbury, also domestic ducks, are closely related.

This small duck, also a mallard breed, is raised for its eggs. It is usually colored fawn and white or all white. It has a slender body and long bill, and weighs about four pounds (1.8 kg). The runner is native to India.