THE PEKIN DUCK. 



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male colours. The following summer and every 

 summer afterwards, about June or July, he 

 moults temporarily into very nearly the sombre 

 garb of the female, until late in the autumn he 

 resumes his male plumage again. 



In mating Rouen ducks for exhibition, the 

 breeder should look to markings, and shape and 

 size of frame, rather than weight, a drake of 

 7 lbs. being quite heavy enough to breed fine 

 stock, and if more than a pound or so heavier 

 than that, being seldom so vigorous and fertile. 

 He is better not over eighteen months old, but 

 the duck may be older. Dark drakes mated 

 with dark ducks generally produce the best 

 coloured drakes, and a dark drake with light 

 but well marked females the best coloured 

 ducks ; thus one pen can be made up very well, 

 with ducks of dililerent shades. Sometimes a 

 fine drake will come with his wing twisted : such 

 a bird, if of good strain, need not be rejected 

 for breeding. 



Rouen ducks are hardy, and delicate in flesh, 

 and fully as large as Aylesburys ; but they are 

 not such good or such early layers, and do not 

 mature in size nearly so quickly. Hence they 

 are not so well adapted for a spring trade, 

 neither are the feathers so valuable, nor does 

 the carcase look so nice when plucked as the 

 white-feathered birds. The heavy keel is also 

 somewhat against them. For a later market, 

 some think that they make finer birds. Some 

 portion of Rouen blood enters very widely into 

 the common coloured ducks seen in farmyards 

 all over the country. 



The Pekin duck is a comparatively recent 

 introduction, and one of the most valuable. It 

 is rather doubtful whether the first importations 

 were made into England or America, 

 Pekin Mr. Palmer in the United States and 



Ducks. Mr. Keele in England having both 



imported birds in 1873, and both 

 exhibiting them in 1874; but in each case there 

 is no doubt they came from Pekin, and were 

 from the first a most well-marked variety, though 

 they bred freely with other ducks. 



The Pekin duck differs from others in the 

 shape and carriage of its body, in a full spherical 

 growth of feathers under the rump, and a singular 

 turned-up carriage of the tail, the whole irre- 

 sistibly suggesting the outline of an Indian canoe. 

 The legs are set far back, which makes the bird 

 walk rather upright or penguin fashion. The 

 neck is somewhat long, and the head decidedly 

 large in proportion. The legs and bill are a rich 

 yellow or reddish orange, the bill being shorter 

 than in the two preceding varieties ; and the 

 plumage approaches white, with a peculiar canary 



yellow running through it. At one time some 

 exhibitors showed pure white, but such specimens 

 nearly always had pale bills, and there is no 

 doubt that they originated in a cross with the 

 Aylesbury, which was at one time very prevalent 

 in both breeds, and is even now not altogether 

 banished from either. But it is now fully recog- 

 nised that canary plumage, deep orange bill 

 and legs, and erect canoe-like body make the 

 true type of the Pekin. It differs further from 

 both the preceding in having no keel. 



The Pekin duck has strong characteristics in 

 qualities, as well as in colour and shape. It is a 

 non-sitter, and a most prolific layer, especially 

 if bred for that quality systematically as in 

 America, where many ducks have laid over 150 

 eggs in a year. When at large they are very 

 active, and their plumage and colour of bill give 

 no reason for keeping them out of the sun. 

 They are very large in frame, but the plumage is 

 so thick that they rarely weigh what they look in 

 England, where they were rashly pronounced 

 small, not adapted for fattening in confinement, 

 and dry in flesh. In America, on the contrary, 

 this duck is the one almost universally bred on 

 the great duck ranches ; and there it proves, not 

 only the best layer, but the most succulent in 

 flesh. Some of the American breeders describe 

 their birds as " keeled " ; but this is not what is 

 understood by " keel " in England, as explained 

 farther on. A pair on Mr. Hallock's ranche 

 at Speonk, Long Island, where 25,000 are raised 

 annually, weighed weekly, proved 3 ozs. each at 

 I week old, 5i ozs. at 2 weeks, 7i ozs. at 3 weeks, 



I lb. 3 ozs. at 4 weeks, 2 lbs. 6 ozs. at 5 weeks, 

 3 lbs. 12 ozs. at 6 weeks, 4 lbs. 12 ozs. at 7 weeks, 

 6 lbs. 12 ozs. at 8 weeks, 7 lbs. 4 ozs. at 9 weeks, 

 8 lbs. at 10 weeks, and 9 lbs. 3 ozs. (each) at 



I I weeks. The pair were admittedly somewhat 

 above the average, but by no means exceptional. 

 Such weights as these would not be attained 

 by British Pekin stock at the time we write. 

 But the old prejudices are dying out, and several 

 dealers in the London Central Market have told 

 us that year by year the Pekin is by degrees 

 displacing the Aylesbury, the flesh being much 

 liked, and the absence or comparative absence 

 of keel being a point in its favour. 



On the water the Pekin duck is particularly 

 ornamental. The Poultry Club Standard for 

 Pekins will be found at the end of this chapter. 



Of the various breeds of ducks, the greatest 

 forager and most prolific layer is beyond doubt 

 the Indian Runner. We are indebted to Mr. 

 J. W. Walton, of Tow Law, Co. Durham, for 

 the following notes on the breed : — 



" The best and most authentic account of 



