Bali Duck

Facts about Bali Ducks. Another name for the Bali Duck is also known as the Balinese Crested Duck. It is a light weight duck and domesticated primarily because of its decorative nature. The Bali Duck can also be kept as a pet. Bali Duck looks similar to the Indian Runner Duck and has a crest on its head. One of the other ways which the Bali duck is identified is the characteristic crest on its head. The gene that is responsible for the crest on the Bali Ducks head is also responsible for certain defects tied on the balance and back conditions. There are also complications that arise in the formation of the skull that makes the Bali ducklings to die even before they hatch. On a simple average, up to 30 percent of the hatched ducklings will lack the crest. When cross breeding, the crested and non-crested varieties are usually used to lower the mortality rate.

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

Bali Duck has been used in selective breeding mainly for egg production. This has been necessitated by the fact that the Bali duck has a high mortality rate. Not many of the eggs laid are hatched into live ducklings.

Features of the Bali Duck

In terms of weight, the Bali Duck measures between 5 to 6 pounds (2.25 and 2.75 kg). The Bali Duck body is slender and it has an upright posture. Contrary to the Indian Runner, Bali ducks bodies are not as varied. The Bali Ducks tend to carry their bodies at an angle of between (60 and 70 degrees) relative to the ground. Runners on the other hand carry their bodies at (45 to 75 degrees). This is one of the striking features that are used to identify the Bali Ducks. The Bali Duck also has wider shoulders with a body that is heavier set. The bill shape is different compared to many of the ducks in its family and the head is coarser.

The Bali duck comes in many colors depending on the region in which it is found and to a larger extent the climate. The common coloration however are brown, white and mallard.

Bali Ducks are birds in the Class of "Aves". Ducks of all types are part of the bird family "Anatidae". 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. Scientific name for Bali 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).

Features about Bali duck egg

A Bali duck eggs has twice the nutritional value than a chicken egg and will stay fresh longer because of their thicker shell.
Bali duck eggs are richer with more Albumen "the white of an egg" making pastries and cakes richer and fluffier. A Bali duck Egg has more Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg. Omega 3 is thought to improve skin health, memory and Brain health. Bali duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food and a Chicken egg is an acid food and leaves your body more acid. Bali duck eggs are high in Cholesterol. Bali duck eggs have 6 times the Vitamin D and 2 times the Vitamin A than a chicken egg. Bali duck eggs have 2 times the cholesterol than a chicken egg.
The eggs laid by the Bali duck are approximately 120 to 250 each year. The eggs are white to blue green in color and have an average weight of 80 grams.


The female Bali Duck (hen) are usually a plain colored for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.

Bali Duck of the Water-proof feathers

A special feature that the Bali Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Bali 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 Bali Ducks tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the Bali Ducks feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Feature of the Bali Ducks feet

The Bali Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. The Bali Duck 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 Bali Ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Bali Duck waddle instead of walk. The Bali 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 ducks feet warm. Bali Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

Feature of the bills of the Bali Duck

A "bill" is what is call a Bali Ducks mouth. There are no teeth in the ducks bill, the Bali Duck have rows of thin bristles, which helps them to filter pieces of nutrition out of the water. Bali 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 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 Bali Duck to clutch food for feeding.

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

The Bali 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.
An male adult Bali Duck is called a (drake) and a adult female Bali Duck is called a (hen). A young baby Bali Duck is called a (duckling). A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling.

Male Bali Ducks will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the Bali Duck female lays 5 to 10 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 Bali ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks. 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. Ducks fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier.

Bali Ducks can see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Bali 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 Bali 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.