A
Khaki Campbell (or just
Campbell) is a breed of
domesticated duckDomesticated ducks are ducks that are raised for meat, eggs and down. Many ducks are also kept for show, as pets or for their ornamental value. Almost all of the varieties of domesticated ducks are descended from the Mallard , apart from the Muscovy Duck .-Breeds:There are many existing breeds...
kept for its high level of egg production. The breed was developed by Adele Campbell of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the end of the 19th century. The "Khaki" portion of the name refers to the duck's typical color.
Adult Campbell ducks weigh approximately 4
poundsThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Campbells can come in three color varieties:
khakiThis article is about the fabric. For the colour, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric. The name comes from the Persian word khâk which came to English from British India, specifically via the British...
, dark and white. The Khaki Campbell duck is mostly khaki colored with a darker head.
A
Khaki Campbell (or just
Campbell) is a breed of
domesticated duckDomesticated ducks are ducks that are raised for meat, eggs and down. Many ducks are also kept for show, as pets or for their ornamental value. Almost all of the varieties of domesticated ducks are descended from the Mallard , apart from the Muscovy Duck .-Breeds:There are many existing breeds...
kept for its high level of egg production. The breed was developed by Adele Campbell of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the end of the 19th century. The "Khaki" portion of the name refers to the duck's typical color.
Adult Campbell ducks weigh approximately 4
poundsThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Campbells can come in three color varieties:
khakiThis article is about the fabric. For the colour, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the colour of such fabric. The name comes from the Persian word khâk which came to English from British India, specifically via the British...
, dark and white. The Khaki Campbell duck is mostly khaki colored with a darker head. They have
MallardThe Mallard , probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, New Zealand , and Australia...
,
RouenThe Rouen Duck is a heavyweight breed of domesticated duck raised primarily for decoration or as general purpose ducks, since they are not prolific egg layers...
and
RunnerThe Indian Runner Duck is a breed of domestic duck. They are native to the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia. The breed, it is thought, was first brought to Europe via Whitehaven, Cumbria in the United Kingdom, by a sea captain prior to 1835, as they were exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens...
duck blood in them.
The egg production of the Campbell breed can exceed even the most efficient of egg laying domestic chickens, with the breed laying an average of 300 eggs a year..
This breed of duck is listed as watch by the
American Livestock Breeds ConservancyThe American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Its mission is to protect "genetic diversity in livestock and poultry species through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds." ALBC maintains a list of...
.
History
In the late 1800s Adele Campbell purchased a Fawn and White
Indian Runner DuckThe Indian Runner Duck is a breed of domestic duck. They are native to the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia. The breed, it is thought, was first brought to Europe via Whitehaven, Cumbria in the United Kingdom, by a sea captain prior to 1835, as they were exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens...
which was an exceptional layer (195 eggs in 197 days) and crossed it with a
Rouen DuckThe Rouen Duck is a heavyweight breed of domesticated duck raised primarily for decoration or as general purpose ducks, since they are not prolific egg layers...
in an attempt to create a strain that would lay well and have bigger bodies. The offspring were crossed with
MallardThe Mallard , probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, New Zealand , and Australia...
s to increase their hardiness. The resulting birds were prolific layers. The "Campbell" breed was introduced to the public in 1898. In an attempt to create a more attractive buff-colored duck Mrs. Campbell crossed her original Campbells with Penciled
Runner ducksThe Indian Runner Duck is a breed of domestic duck. They are native to the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia. The breed, it is thought, was first brought to Europe via Whitehaven, Cumbria in the United Kingdom, by a sea captain prior to 1835, as they were exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens...
. The resulting color reminded Mrs. Campbell of
British army uniformsThe British Army uniform developed along roughly the same lines as uniforms in other European armies. Its signature colour had become standardised as red for both infantry and cavalry units by the end of the 17th century, except for the Royal Horse Guards and Royal Artillery who wore dark blue;...
, so she named these new ducks "Khaki Campbell". In 1941 Khaki Cambell Ducks were Introduced to the
American Standard of PerfectionFirst published in 1874, the American Standard of Perfection is the official breed standard for the poultry fancy in North America. Published by the American Poultry Association, the Standard of Perfection classifies and describes the standard physical appearance, coloring and temperament for all...
.
Reproduction
Khaki Campbells become sexually mature at approximately 6 months. Khaki Campbell hens very seldom will hatch out their own young. Brooding behavior has been sacrificed in exchange for prolific egg laying ability in this breed. Mechanical incubators or broody chickens are used to hatch out Khaki Campbell ducklings. It takes approximately 28 days for a Khaki Campbell duckling to hatch.