Gimbsheim Duck

All about Gimbsheim Ducks. A Gimbsheim Duck is mostly raise because of its a good egg layer and for its meat. The Gimbsheim Duck originate from Germany and they are featured by grey feathers covering their large breasts. The Gimbsheim Duck are good backyard birds because of their shimmering colors ranging from white to mixes of yellow and green and but the plumage color is always blue. The male Gimbsheim Duck are bigger than their female counterparts in terms of length and weight. The Gimbsheim Duck eggs are greenish while their short and sturdy feet are greyish. The Gimbsheim Duck are independent breeds and hence they can feed ducklings provided there are enough food.

Because of their good eating habits, the Gimbsheim ducks are medium weight breeds with the males weighing up to 6.6 pounds (3 kg)and the females weighing up to 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). Their feet and shanks are slate grey. Although they are excellent egg layers, they are mostly kept for their healthy white meat.

About Gimbsheim Ducks History

There is little known about how these Gimbsheim ducks have evolved over time. They are thought to be hailing from the areas near Gimbsheim, Germany (1958 and 1963). Their looks and behavior closely relate to those of the Saxony, Pekin and Orpington ducks. The Gimbsheim ducks must have reached various parts of the world especially the United States after the Second World War.

Gimbsheim Duck Characteristics

Just like their ancestors the Saxony ducks, the Gimbsheim Duck are good egg laying ducks, laying up to 150 eggs in one season. These eggs weigh around (70 grams) each and a tough green shell covers them. While differing mixes of colors may cover the rest of the body, the Gimbsheim Duck head is predominantly dark while the bill is greenish with some yellow spots in the males and purely grey in the females.

They are vulnerable to the common fowl diseases and you should contact a veterinarian to vaccinate your Gimbsheim. The Gimbsheim Duck mostly suffer from avian cholera, aspergillosis, colibacillosis and the duck hepatitis.
Ducks fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier. Since the Gimbsheim Duck are light enough to fly for long distances, you should try to pinion their wings in order to tame them. Don’t feed your duck with rapeseed meal or the castor bean as they have poisonous chemicals such as erucic acid.

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

Water-proof feathers of Gimbsheim Duck

A special feature that the Gimbsheim Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Gimbsheim 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 Gimbsheim Ducks feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Features about Gimbsheim Duck feet

Gimbsheim Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. The Gimbsheim 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 close for less water resistance. The Gimbsheim 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 Gimbsheim 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. Gimbsheim Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

The male Gimbsheim Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the 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 Gimbsheim Duck eggs will hatch on average within 26 to 28 days. Baby 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.

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

Featurs about Gimbsheim Ducks bills

A "bill" is what is call a Gimbsheim 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. Gimbsheim 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 Gimbsheim 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 Gimbsheim Duck to clutch food for feeding.

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

Features about Gimbsheim Duck egg

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

Scientific name for Gimbsheim 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).
Gimbsheim 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.

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