Dutch Hookbill Duck

Facts about Dutch Hookbill Ducks. The population of the Dutch Hookbill Ducks has reduced immensely since 18th century because the Dutch Hookbill Ducks are only raised today for laying eggs and for exhibition. In fact, Dutch Hookbill ducks are just domesticated for these reasons. The Dutch Hookbill Duck is one of the oldest breeds of ducks found in Europe and it said to have come from the Netherlands (around 17th century) where it was the traditional waterfowl of the Dutch waterways and canals. Also known as the Kromsnaveleend, it obtained its Hookbill name because of its Concorde style bill.

Dutch Hookbill Duck are sociable docile ducks, which can add beauty to your home. They don’t demand a lot of food because they can go out and search for something to eat on their own. Dutch Hookbill 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. Dutch Hookbill Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years. Dutch Hookbill Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Dutch Hookbill Ducks History

Dutch Hookbill Ducks are one of the Europe’s oldest breed, nobody really seems to know where the Dutch Hookbill Duck breed came from. Dutch historians and other people said the duck must have been originating from East Asia somewhere around India where it was reared for food and eggs. The Dutch Hookbill Duck were brought to the Netherlands by seafarers and by 17th century, the Dutch Hookbill Duck breed was common especially in the province of North Holland where it spread to the rest of the country and other parts of Europe.

Dutch Hookbill Duck Characteristics

Dutch Hookbill Duck is classified as one of the lightweight existing ducks. A Dutch Hookbill Duck is featured by many colors including dark blue, magpie, dusky and white. Aside from this, it is a reminiscent of the Mallard duck and it can only be distinguished from the Mallard because of its bill, which curves out as a semicircle around most of the Duck’s top head.

Dutch Hookbill Ducks are known to lay copious amount of eggs, laying up to 200 eggs in a single season. The eggs are blue, unlike the eggs of other duck breeds, they don’t support incubation. Therefore, breeders should allow the eggs to be incubated naturally.

The Dutch Hookbill Duck are sociable docile ducks, which can add beauty to your home. They don’t demand a lot of food because they can go out and search for something to eat on their own. Dutch Hookbill 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. Dutch Hookbill Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years, depending on the breed. Dutch Hookbill Ducks are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

About the Dutch Hookbill Duck Bill

Dutch Hookbill Duck beaks tends to curve downwards, giving the duck its unique bill shaped head distinguishing it from other breeds. A "bill" is what is call a Dutch Hookbill 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. Dutch Hookbill 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 Dutch Hookbill Ducks bill 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 Dutch Hookbill Duck to clutch food for feeding.

Dutch Hookbill 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.

Dutch Hookbill Ducks have an excellent flight capability if its feathers are kept in good trim condition especially for the younger ducks. They are highly fertile ducks and they become sexually mature when they are 16 weeks-old. The Dutch Hookbill Duck are very good for small scale farmers, as they require less maintenance but produces plenty amount of eggs per year.

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

Features about Dutch Hookbill Duck egg

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

In the wild the Male Dutch Hookbill Ducks will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female Dutch Hookbill 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.

Dutch Hookbill Duck Water-proof feathers

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

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

Features about the Dutch Hookbill Duck Feet

Dutch Hookbill 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 Dutch Hookbill 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 Dutch Hookbill 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. Dutch Hookbill Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

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

Dutch Hookbill Ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Dutch Hookbill 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.
Dutch Hookbill Ducks will fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier.
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.