Saxony Duck

Facts about Saxony Ducks. The Saxony duck was bred from the Rouen, Blue Pomeranian and Pekin ducks. The Saxony duck goes back to 1934 though the breed was almost wiped out by World War 2. The Saxony Duck breed was saved by the efforts of Albert Franz. The breed's numbers increased under his care, until the Saxony Duck breed was standardized in 1957. The Saxony duck arrived in the United States around 1984. The Saxony duck breed had a standard of perfection approved by the American Poultry Association in 2000. Saxony ducks are sometimes raised for show, but they lack the thick plumage and exotic colors of duck breeds raised purely for show.

The Saxony Duck is a German breed of duck from an area in part of Eastern Germany. In France the breed is called Le Canard de Saxe. In Germany the Saxony duck is called Sachsen Enten. Saxony ducks were bred for both meat and eggs. The Saxony Duck lay white shell eggs and most females produce 150 to 200 eggs per year.

Features of the Saxony duck.

Saxony ducks are light brown, gold or beige. Female Saxony ducks have a white stripe around the eye a patch of white feathers on the neck white feathers on the rump and white feathers on the tips of their wings. The Saxony Duck beaks and legs are dark orange. The male Saxony Duck have a dark grey or black head, dark chest feathers, light back and stomach and gray rump feather. The Saxony Duck feet are dark orange, but the male duck is a rich golden color. Unlike their cousins the Rouen duck, they do not have green or blue tints to their feathers. The Saxony Duck have compact bodies that are streamlined, unlike the straight and stocky look of the large Rouen breed. The Saxony duck has an upright posture and compact form. The Saxony drake has a Mallard's pattern but a distinct coloring. Male Saxony Ducks always have a white neck ring. Female Saxony Ducks are a much lighter beige, cream or brown coloring with white streaks on the body.
Saxony ducks are non-flyers and have a rather calm disposition and are relatively gentle. Male Saxony ducks do not quack, instead they make a raspy sound if they excited.

Male Saxony Ducks can reach ten pounds (4.5 kg) but the average is about 8 pounds (3.6 kg). Females can reach eight pounds (3.6 kg) and average 7 pounds (3.1 kg) and are considered a heavy duck breed. Saxony ducks mature quickly, another trait that is favored in meat production.
Saxony ducks are excellent foragers, ready to root out insects to supplement their feed. Saxony ducks because of their high activity level have rather lean dark meat. The Saxony Duck needs a large pen in which they can forage to be happy.

There are several hundred Saxony ducks in the United States, so it is on the Livestock Conservancy critical list for the U.S.
Saxony ducks eggs are readily available for hatching for a few dollars apiece. If you let the female raise the eggs, she will be broody and sit on them until they hatch. The Saxony Duck can hatch and raise their own eggs whereas their largest Rouen cousins may crush their eggs if they sit on them.
Saxony ducks can be petted but they are not intended to be pets. They will however do well in a barn yard with other ducks and require little supervision.

"Scientific name for Saxony Duck Anas Platyrhynchos" meaning - Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are widely distributed. From New Latin "anas" meaning "Duck" and the word Platyrhynchos comes from "platyrrhine" Ancient Greek meaning broad snouted flat-bridged nose.
Saxony Ducks are birds in the Class of Aves. Ducks of all types are part of the bird family Anatidae. Ducks are also called waterfowl they are generally found in places were there is water, such as ponds, rivers, streams, lakes and occasionally your back yard pool.

A special feature that the Saxony 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 Saxony Ducks tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the Saxony Ducks feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.
fFeet of the Saxony Duck

Features about the Saxony Duck Feet

Saxony 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 close for less water resistance. The Saxony Ducks paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Saxony Duck waddle instead of walk. The Saxony 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 Saxony Ducks feet warm. Saxony Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

Saxony 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. Saxony Ducks on average, live 4 to 8 years and can live up to 12 years depending on the breed.
In the wild the male Saxony Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female Saxony Duck 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 ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks. 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 about the Saxony Duck Bill

The bill is what is call a Saxony 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. Saxony 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 Saxony Duck to clutch food for feeding.
Underneath the water-proof coat are downy soft fluffy feathers which keep the Saxony Ducks body warm. Saxony Ducks keep clean by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and put their beaks into their feathers to preening themselves.

Saxony 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.
A male adult Saxony Duck is called a "drake" and a adult female Saxony Duck is called a "hen". A young baby Saxony Duck is called a "duckling". A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling. The female hen's are usually a plain colored brown for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.

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

Features about Saxony Duck egg

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