Raising backyard animals is, in my view, and important part of any garden. Of course, not every gardener will be able to, and that’s fine. Animals like ducks produce delicious eggs and manure that can be composted and used in your garden. The duck breed that I keep are the Campbell variety of ducks. In this article, we’ll answer some of the more common questions about Khaki Campbell ducks in order to help you decide whether or not they’re right for you.
What are Khaki Campbell ducks?
Some fast facts about these ducks:
- Shy temperament
- Uniform brown coloration
- Generally a quieter breed
- 300+ eggs laid each year
- Lay creamy, white eggs
- Small to medium in size
- Eggs take 28 days to hatch
- Ducks begin laying at 5 months
- Can live as long as 10 years
- Lay eggs throughout their lives
- Excellent pest control
Campbell ducks are a breed of domestic duck first developed in Gloucestershire England at the end of the 19th century. The Khaki Campbell variety of duck was introduced to the public for the first time in 1901. The breed was created by Adele Campbell through, in her words, “various matings of Rouen, Indian Runner, and wild duck.” Eventually, the cross-matings of these ducks produced the Khaki Campbell duck we know today.
These ducks are generally of a brown coloration. Female ducks of this breed are uniformly brown in color. Males are also brown but have a darker head than females. Khaki Campbell ducks are bred for their prolific egg laying. These ducks are a smaller breed than some of the larger meat duck varieties, like Pekin ducks.
These ducks are a small to medium size and are fully grown at about 4-5 pounds. They are adaptable, able to live in cold and hot climates. On average, these ducks live about 10 years.
How many eggs do Khaki Campbell ducks lay?
Khaki Campbell ducks are well known for their incredible egg laying prowess. A single hen can lay more than 300 eggs each year. Some report that their hens lay upwards of 340 eggs a year, skipping only a handful of days during the darkest days of winter. Khaki Campbell duck eggs are a creamy, white color and weigh approximately 4.4 ounces, or 125 grams.
These ducks begin laying when they are about 5 months old and will continue to lay throughout their lives. While many breeds slow down their egg laying as they age, Khaki Campbell hens do a good job of maintaining a high number of eggs produced each year.
Read More: How To Incubate And Hatch Duck Eggs
Temperament And Personality
If you’re looking for a good egg layer, the Khaki Campbell duck is the right one for you. If you want a docile, friendly, quiet bird, look elsewhere. These ducks are not the loudest breed but the females do have a piercing call quack. In general, they will remain quiet if they are undisturbed and their needs have been met. Hungry ducks are loud ducks.
Khaki Campbell ducks do enjoy bath time, so a pool of water is a must. Something as simple as a plastic children’s pool will work. In general, these ducks don’t spend a lot of time in the water. They like having it available but bathe themselves sparingly compared to other breeds.
This breed of duck isn’t known for being particularly friendly or cuddly. In my experience, they avoid direct contact with humans. Ducklings that you hatch yourself and carefully raise with lots of contact are more likely to grow into docile, friendly adults.
Do Khaki Campbell ducks fly?
Some breeds of domesticated ducks are able to fly, and this breed is one of them. Khaki Campbell ducks are small enough to be able to lift off and fly, but in my experience, they don’t. I’ve kept Khaki Campbell ducks for years and I’ve never once seen them so much as hop an inch off the ground let alone take flight. These ducks are cautious and will stay in familiar territory near their food, water, and shelter.
Keep Reading: How To Raise Ducks In Your Backyard
