The average lifespan of a Pekin duck is roughly eight to 12 years. The body is broad and heavy, and is held almost vertical. They are calm-natured and a little bit skittish, but they make excellent pets due to their unique personalities and overall durability. If you want succulent young duck, processing at 7 weeks is ideal. They are looking good and strong and at 9 weeks old are almost fully feathered. Their average lifespan (if not eaten at an early age) is about 9 to 12 years. Due to our longer than normal cold temperatures, the ducks ended up staying in the brooder for a lot longer than we wanted. To keep the coop free from predators, you have to understand what predators you might encounter. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Here at Trading Feathers – we raise Pekin ducks, the most popular duck breed in the United States. Boys, on the other hand, need a healthy, protein-rich diet with intermittent calcium supplements to ensure fertile eggs. With a solid coop, a flock of hearty Pekins can easily withstand harsh temperatures. in 6 weeks) and are up to 12 lbs. This is of no harm to the ducks, just a sign of age. In the wild, ducks eat many aquatic organisms like fish, frogs, and algae. To make a purchase from our farm please refer to How To Buy From Us . There is only one major flock left in England today. in 6 weeks) and are up to 12 lbs. Their external feathers are white, sometimes with a yellowish tinge. Sometimes they are wrongly written as Peking ducks. Most ducks are very social animals and don't like being alone, so I recommend getting at least 2 ducks. If weight is measured prior to the processing, you receive a LIVE duck and the cost is $5 per lb. Because these ducks grow so fast, their legs aren't built to hold their own weight, which reduces their life cycle and productivity. Aylesbury ducks, although extremely similar in appearance, aren’t actually Pekins. These barges would spill grain from which the ducks would feed. Even the internet has gone quackers for a Pekin. Can adult 5 week old pekin ducks live in the same duck house as adult pekin ducks? Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. (Remember that the Pekin ducks are normally harvested at 7 weeks of age.) It was bred from the mallard in China. Pekin Duck Breed Quick Facts. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. We are a small mini-farm and offer ducks on a reservation basis. Can I keep one Pekin duck by itself, if not what will happen? It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Raising Pekins is easier than raising most other breeds of domestic duck because of their strong immune systems and ability to survive in extreme conditions. If they are by themselves, they can get very depressed easily for not having another mate to play with. As a farmer that takes pride in raising slow-growing heritage breeds of chickens and turkeys, as well as guinea fowl and geese, I find that the idea of raising fast-growing Pekin ducks is sometimes … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. If fed a diet high in corn or alfalfa, the beak and legs in Pekins can become very bright orange in color. Although the location of their origin is often disputed, most agree it was probably somewhere in Southeast Asia. As you may have noticed, both have white feathers and orange beaks. A heartbeat can usually be seen by the third day of incubation when candling the egg. Over half of America's commercial ducks today are Pekins! If free-range then no constraints except making sure predators don't get them. The beak is short and orange-coloured. Pekin ducks in North America are fairly horizontal in stature. They have long bodies and quite long necks. They usually get their drake feathers around 6 months give or take a month. Drakes do possess a drake feather, which is a single curled feather on the tail. DISCOUNT – Reserve 1 or 2 ducks on a monthly basis with a 12 month agreement and save $1 off per lb. Ducks are normally more difficult to process than chickens or turkeys because they have more down and feathers to contend with. Product ID: 4P. Pekin ducks are a large breed that originated in China and was imported to Great Britain in 1872. It was originated in China and is now one of the most popular commercial duck breeds. I can't stress how important it is to keep the feed containers, pen, and coop clean. Worms, crickets, flies, and mosquitos are also on the menu. They also exist as pets, and some even live independently in parks. To get the maximum lifespan from this feathered creature, it's important to help it eat healthily. These are great egg producers,  just don’t expect them to sit on a nest. Since Pekins are descendants of the mallard duck, they can breed with just about any domestic duck in the world. These are awesome traits if you don’t want to micro-manage your ducks. They have short wings. Now that the hard part is over, processing your duck from here on out is just like processing a chicken – remove the head and feet, cut out the oil gland from above the tail, loosen the esophagus, eviscerate and wash thoroughly. These ducks are fully feathered hardy and outdoors but are not POL. They began to increase in size and … We like it roasted, but will take it any way we can get it. Ducks can be tricked into laying eggs where desired by placing a golf ball or similar object in a place where they might normally lay. They will lay their eggs in what they consider to be a safe place and will often lay where another duck has already laid (egg dumping). Free-ranging ducks are great at finding food, so supplementing meals with chicken scratch or corn is usually sufficient. Avoid medicated food for ducklings; ducks have strong immune systems, and the extra medicine could weaken them. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Watch the video below for a more in-depth explanation. Chick starter provides the protein and vitamins babies need to live strong, healthy lives. Enter your email address to follow this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. feathers completely cover the body at day 20 (20EM) [12]. The Pekin is the most common duck in North America. The American Pekin is a large, hearty bird that doesn't feel as fragile as other common domestic ducks. They also lay a generous amount of large eggs making them unbeatable as a dual-purpose duck. An alternative method is to dunk the waxed duck into a pot of cool water to harden the wax. When they are young, they can be chilled and killed in a rainstorm just as easily as chicks can. Pekin ducks are white in colour and a large breed that was domesticated over 2000 years ago. Be careful with corn, however. On average, a fully grown Pekin will weigh somewhere between 8 and 12 pounds. An adult Pekin will lay an average of 200 eggs per … i only have one duck in reading these and i feel cruel :(. Please note that there is a difference between wild and domestic crested ducks. The easiest way to tell if your Pekin duck is a male or female is by its quack. Scratch or corn is usually required of domestic duck often used for meat and egg production qualities, Pekins often. Of space per bird while sleeping in an enclosed area and adjust accordingly spill grain from which the ducks fully. Anyone know what it is to keep the feed containers, pen, and only nine made the across... Love to play with ( Log out / Change ), you are commenting your... Great egg producers, just don ’ t expect them to sit their... 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