Allier ducks

Facts about Allier Duck. The Allier Duck originally comes from Bourbonnais in France. The Allier Ducks are hardy but believed to be fast growers. The allier ducks feathers are white whereas the shanks, bills and feet are orange. The female lays earlier than other breeds and the eggs weigh around 80 grams. Most people keep them for their beautiful feathers but they are good layers and their meat is tasty.

The male Allier Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female duck lays 5 to 8 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep them warm so that they can hatch into baby ducklings. The eggs will hatch on average within 26 to 28 days. Baby ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks.

The allier ducks carries themselves more upright than their ancestor and other white ducks. The males seem to be bigger weighing around 8.8 pounds (4kg) in maturity whereas the female weighs 6.6 pounds (3kg) in maturity. Generally the Allier Duck are large birds that are loved for their white feathers.

A male adult Allier Duck is called a (drake) and a adult female Allier Duck is called a (hen). A young baby Allier Duck is called a (duckling). A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling. The male Allier Ducks (drakes) are the brighter colored ducks while the female (hen) are usually a plain colored for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.

Scientific name for Allier Duck "Anas Platyrhynchos" meaning - Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed. From New Latin "anas" meaning (Duck) and the word Platyrhynchos comes from "platyrrhine", Ancient Greek meaning (broad snouted, flat-bridged nose).
Allier Ducks are birds in the Class of "Aves". Ducks of all types are part of the bird family "Anatidae". Their ancestor is aylebury duck so they have similar characteristics but as usual they are different in some ways. Allier Ducks are also called "waterfowls" they are generally found in places were there is water, such as ponds, rivers, streams, lakes and occasionally your back yard pool. The definition of Anatidaephobia is irrational fear that you are being watched by a duck.

Ensure that there is plenty of water in the Allier Duck house. If you make a watering place for your Allier Duck make sure it is not stagnant water because they like to drink it when they swim. Cleaning every now and then will ensure they stay healthy. The Allier Duck lay eggs in any corner of the house but to avoid the eggs being stepped at ensure that you have prepared wooden laying boxes for them. The laying boxes must have soft grass or hay to protect the eggs from cracking. In case you want to train the Allier Duck on how to lay in a certain place, just place an already laid egg or a white golf ball which will attract them.

Features about Allier Duck eggs

An Allier Duck egg has twice the nutritional value than a chicken egg and will stay fresh longer because of their thicker shell.
Allier Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen "the white of an egg" making pastries and cakes richer and fluffier. An Allier Duck Egg has more Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg. Omega 3 is thought to improve skin health, memory and Brain health. Allier Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food and a Chicken egg is an acid food and leaves your body more acid. Allier Duck eggs are high in Cholesterol. Duck eggs have 6 times the Vitamin D and 2 times the Vitamin A than a chicken egg. Allier Duck eggs have 2 times the cholesterol than a chicken egg.

Just like other ducks, allier ducks love crustaceans, small insects, soaked bread, greens and vegetables. But if you allow them search for their own food make sure you leave them in a fenced in area because they are destructive.

Allier Ducks are related to geese and swans and the duck is the smallest of these birds with shorter wings and neck and a stocky body. Allier Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years, depending on the breed. Allier Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Features about Allier Ducks Bills

A "bill" is what is call a Allier Ducks mouth. There are no teeth in the ducks bill, they have rows of thin bristles, which helps them to filter pieces of nutrition out of the water. Allier Ducks swallow there food whole and it goes to an organ called a gizzard, were the food is first ground up and than moves on to the stomach. The different bill shapes and sizes for finding food, has over time mutated to fit each environment. The Allier Ducks bill is flat and broad and has rows of fine incision along the outer edge called "lamellae". meaning a thin membrane, plate, scale or layer, as of cell wall or bone tissue. The larnellae helps the Allier Duck to clutch food for feeding.

Allier Ducks Water-proof feathers

A special feature that the Allier Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the duck dives underwater, its downy under-layer of feathers will stay totally 100% dry. There is a special gland called the "Preen Gland" also called Oil Gland or Uropygial, that produces oil that is near the duck's tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the Allier Ducks feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Underneath the water-proof coat are downy soft fluffy feathers which keep the Allier Ducks body warm. Allier Ducks keep clean by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and put their beaks into their feathers by preening themselves.

Allier Ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Allier Ducks have three eyelids the third eyelid called nictitating membrane. They have a top and bottom as well as a third eyelid that is found on the side of the eye. The Allier Ducks eyelid blinking acts as a windshield wiper to clear the eye. This helps to see when diving under water can also help the eye from drying out while flying. This is an act of constantly cleaning and keeping the eye moist.
In captivity ducks will lay more eggs, when there is more daylight, that's why farmers will keep the lights on in the ducks house for longer periods of time.

Features of the Allier Ducks Feet

Allier Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. They push their webbed paddle feet back in a kicking motion, this allows them to move swift through the water and when the feet come back, they will close for less water resistance. The Allier Ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a duck waddle instead of walk. The Allier Ducks feet have capillaries which help blood flow to their feet. The warm blood flow down the leg and creates a heat exchange system. When the blood flows down the leg, it meets the cold blood and is warmed up to keep the Allier Ducks feet warm. Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

A Allier Duck is a Precocial (meaning) Born or hatched with the eyes open, a covering of hair or down, capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth and able to leave the nest just a few hours after hatching.