Duclair Duck

Facts about Duclair ducks. The Duclair duck is a breed that is supposedly originated from France. The blue version of the Duclair duck bears a lot of resemblance to the Swedish blue. People have trouble tell between the two breeds of duck. The Duclair Duck does better as a free range other than keep it captive in a small locked cage as it is a marvelous forager. Unlike the crested duck, it is very easy to produce the Duclair duck on a large scale and not fearing losses due to susceptibility, since the Duclair Duck can tolerate diverse habitats and is also less prone to physical injuries like the crested duck can be.

One thing that makes the Duclair duck a good beginner’s duck, is the fact that it is tame and very calm duck to start with as a duck farmer or maybe, if you want to have it as a pet. Duclair Duck has a very flexible food diet since the bird is an omnivore. Factors that include the availability of nutrients, short term variations of the food available, its stage of the breeding cycle are responsible for causing variations in the Duclair Ducks normal diet. Nevertheless, the duck mainly feeds off invertebrates such as, dragonflies, flies, beetles, caddis flies, worms, gastropods, and a wide range of crustaceans.

The Duclair duck is of medium size as it weighs 6.6 pounds (3 kg) for the male and 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) for the female duck. The majority of the Duclair ducks appear in black with white bibs. The eggs of this Duclair duck are green and weigh up to seventy grams. The outer two primaries on the wings of the Duclair duck are also white, like the bibs. Some farmers describe the duck as a “classic manky Mallard” that has a green head, white bibs, a black, solid brown, or even a blue grey-body.

Duclair ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Duclair 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. This 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.

Features about Duclair duck egg

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

In the wild the male Duclair duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female Duclair 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 Duclair ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks.

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

Duclair 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. Duclair Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years, depending on the breed. Duclair Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Presently, the Duclair duck has been interbred with other breeds of duck and most of them have been eaten as food until their alarming rate of reduction has started raising concern among major breed conservation programs.

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

A Duclair 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.

Features about the Duclair duck Feet

Duclair 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 Duclair ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Duclair duck waddle instead of walk. The Duclair 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. Duclair ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

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

Features about the Duclair duck Bill

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

Duclair ducks Water-proof feathers

A special feature that the Duclair duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Duclair 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 Duclair ducks tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the duck's feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Ducks fly will fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier.
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.