POULTRY TYPES AND BREEDS 



335 



has a broad flat bill, small eye, good-sized head, long neck, 

 full breast, long body, short tail, and short web-footed legs. 

 The body has a dense covering of downy feathers, over which 

 lies the feathery plumage. The thickness of plumage, which 

 is slightly oiled by natural secretion, prevents water from 

 penetrating among the feathers. 



Three types of ducks are recognized, meat, egg-laying, 

 and ornamental. Those 

 which best supply the 

 needs of the table for meat 

 are most in demand. 



The Pekin duck was 

 brought to England from 

 Pekin, China, in 1874. It 

 is white in color and of 

 large size, weighing 7 to 9 

 pounds, and is the most 

 popular duck for table use. 

 The bill is orange-yellow 

 in color, while the shanks 

 and toes are reddish or- 

 ange. 



The Aylesbury duck is 

 white and much resem- 

 bles the Pekin. The bill 



is flesh-colored, and the legs and feet are pale orange. 

 These ducks are more popular in England, where they 

 have been bred many years, than they are in America. 



The Rouen duck is a breed that takes its name from a 

 city in northern France, where it has long been bred. It is 

 grayish in color, with dark shadings or black on head, neck, 

 wings, and back. The bill is of greenish-yellow color, and 

 the legs and feet orange with a green or brown shade. 



Fig. 179. A pair of Pekin ducks. Repro- 

 duced from the "Poultry Manual." 



