How Do We Know Pekins Originate from Wild Mallards?

We have read that all domestic ducks (with the exception of Muscovy) originate from wild Mallards.  But how do we know that?

Charles Darwin wrote in 1883 that the middle four tail feathers curl upward in the males of only one breed of wild duck, the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).  This characteristic of a curly feather on the male is in all domestic ducks.  He felt, therefore, there was little doubt that the wild Mallard was the parent of all breeds of domestic duck.

                                       Notice the black, curly feather on the male's tail.


Are there similarities in growth, maturation and body composition between Mallards and domestic ducks?  Yes. 

• The maturation rate of Mallards and domestic ducks is very similar.  Both can lay their first eggs at about 20 weeks of age. 
• In commercial breeder operations the ratio of males to females is also very similar - about five females to every male to maintain peak fertility.
• Both Mallards and domestic ducks achieve mature body weight by about 12 weeks of age when both their primary and secondary wing feathers are mature.

                                Note the white, curly feather on the male Pekin duck.


In the wild, a female Mallard does not actively feed her ducklings and she may travel great distances to find feed.  The ducklings must feed themselves and keep up.  Therefore, thigh and leg muscle and bone, along with webbed feet, must develop rapidly to not only travel looking for food but to swim and escape predators.  Mallards and Pekins are very similar as theynormally achieve 80% of the mature weight and length of leg bones and muscle by 28 days of age!  They need these legs early!

On the other hand, breast meat weight, as a percentage of adult weight, is less than 20% by 28 days!  This is not surprising as Mallards don't have mature feathers until they are 12 weeks of age so there is no rush to get a large breast for flying until then. Pekins are also slow in breast meat development.

If you think of all the variety of domestic ducks, from the large Pekin to the slim, upright Runner, it is astounding that they all originate from the wild Mallard.  A great deal of genetic work has occurred over the hundreds of years to achieve such a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

Much of this information came from an excellent book I just received,  Domestic Duck Production - Science and Practice.   I have ordered ten copies from the publisher in England and will blog its availability once it arrives.  It is written for the commercial egg and meat producer but has fascinating background information on ducks, too.

Two Duck Breeds Only Available July 18 and 25 This Year

For two weeks every year we hatch Silver Runners and Silver Swedish.  For 2011 it is July 18 and July 25.  If you want these rare colors, now is the time to order.

Why do we only hatch these colors for two weeks a year?

                      A flock of Black Swedish males and Silver Swedish females.

So that we can produce 100% blue colored Blue Swedish and Blue Runners, we have two breeder flocks for each breed. Using the Blue Swedish as an example, in one flock we have Black Swedish males and Silver Swedish females. In the other flock we have Silver Swedish males and Black Swedish females. All the progeny from these crosses will be the correct blue color. In June when we need breeders for next year, we switch the males so Black males are with Black females and Silver males are with Silver females. We collect these purebred eggs for about three weeks and hatch them for breeders. Then we switch the males back to where they were originally and go back to producing the correctly colored Blue Swedish for the rest of the season.

                          A flock of Black Runner males and Silver Runner females.

So for July 18 and 25, we do not have Blue Swedish or Blue Runners available but we will have the Silver Swedish and Silver Runners.


As we only hatch these twice a year, they are not on our price list but we charge the same for them as the Blue Runner and Blue Swedish.  Give us a call (800-424-7755) if you have an interest in these Silver Swedish or Silver Runners!

Metzer Farms at Crossroads Poultry Show in October

I am going to the Crossroads Poultry Show in Indianapolis in late October.  This is one of the largest poultry shows in America.  I will not be exhibiting but rather I will have a booth to meet customers and poultry enthusiasts such as yourself.  I hope many of you take the time to visit this great show.

There will be visitors from around the world and exhibitors from every state in the nation.  If you want to see a wide variety of breeds and many quality exhibition birds, this is the show to attend.  This is the first time the APA (American Poultry Association) and ABA (American Bantam Association) will have a Joint National Meet since the last Crossroads Show in 2006.  There are also over 35 Breed Clubs that are having their National Show at this Crossroads Show.  There will be chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas shown.  In addition, the Rabbit National Show will be during the same week in another facility on the fairgrounds.

Prior to the show I will make some more videos on ducks and geese and their management.  I already have two produced: How To Sex Day Old Ducklings and Goslings and Our Hatch Day.  I will be showing these videos at the show.  What other topics would you like covered in a video?  Now is the time to let me know so I can get them made!  Some possibilities are:

How to Sex Adult Ducks and Geese
How to Blow Eggs for Decorating
When and How Should I Help an Egg Hatch?
How to Candle Duck Eggs

What video would you like to see on waterfowl?

I also volunteered to give a presentation on a waterfowl topic.  As there are 25 meeting rooms at this conference facility, it will be easy to schedule and present a waterfowl topic.  What would you like to learn about ducks and geese?  Nutrition as they grow, treating diseases, handling injuries, housing needs, waterfowl flooring, techniques of hatching.....?  If there seems to be a topic of interest, I will schedule a presentation to share what I know and then encourage a sharing of knowledge from those in attendance.

The dates are Friday October 28 through Sunday October 30 and it will be at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.  There will be a Junior and Open show.  You can mail your birds to the show and pick them up when you arrive.  For more information on the show, go to the Crossroads Poultry Club website.  This will be continually updated as more information is available.  There are also many informative articles on the show in the Poultry Press.  In addition, there are two Marriott Hotels and a Sheraton Hotel giving special rates to show attendees.... but book your rooms soon!

It seems like I am really pushing this show.  Well I guess I am - it is the best way to meet poultry enthusiasts such as yourself and the more that attend... the merrier!  See you in Indianapolis!

John Metzer

Metzer Farms' Traveling Catalog

Our catalog has been to five continents - we are only missing Australia and Antarctica!  I am bumping the gift certificate award for the first picture from each of these continents to $150!  For complete rules, visit our website .  Now that summer vacation is here, I know duck and goose fans are on these two continents now!  If you forget to pack our catalog, download it and print it from our Metzer Farms website once you get to your destination.

Following are some of our winners from five continents!

Asia:  Loren King on the  Great Wall of China, China

Asia: Joseph Whi in Bangkok, Thailand

Africa:  Alex Visio at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Europe: Frank Chandler (our very first winner) in Rome, Italy

Europe: Ethan Graves at Stonehenge, England

South America:  Maria Tate at the Panama Canal, Panama

South America:  Carmen Tate, Panama Canal, Panama

North America:  Giovanna Coraggio at Glacier Bay, Alaska

North America:  Alex Capstraw at Disney World, Florida !!

We just need Antarctica and Australia now..........

What Is So Special About A Constant Incubator Temperature?

Most of you have incubators that have several different ages of eggs in them.  And you have your incubator set to one constant temperature.  Right?  What I learned the other day is you want one constant temperature during incubation.  But not the incubator temperature - the shell temperature!

Last Friday we were visited by Jerry Garrison and Phillip Percy, technical advisors from Jamesway, the company that built our new Incubators.  Jerry told me they are learning that the shell temperature is the important temperature, not incubator temperature.   And the reason you want to know the shell temperature is that closely follows the temperature of the embryo which should be stable throughout incubation.

We have single stage incubators for our duck and goose eggs, which means all the eggs in that machine are set to hatch on the same day.  We start the incubator temperature at 100.3 and by the time they start hatching it is set at 98.2.  But he said if we measured the shell temperature, it should always read about 100.2!

Why does the shell temperature differ from the incubator temperature?  Initially the embryo is very small and not generating any measurable heat.  But the egg shell is cooler than the incubator because small amounts of moisture are evaporating from the shell which cools it - just as our sweat cools us.  This water loss is normal as an egg loses 13-14% of its weight during incubation.

However, as the embryo grows, it starts generating more and more heat.  Eventually it is producing so much heat that it's shell temperature can be two degrees warmer than the air in the incubator.  The egg is warming the surrounding air - not vice versa.

So how do you know the shell temperature of incubating eggs?  You can get a infrared thermometer.  You can get inexpensive one for only $60 but they do not measure in 1/10's of a degree.  To measure as accurately as necessary you need to spend several hundred dollars.

The best way to maintain a constant shell temperature is to have a single stage incubator (only one age of eggs in the incubator).   To have a shell temperature of 100.2, you need it to be 100.3 in the beginning and then gradually reduce it until it is about 98.2 when they start hatching.  For more information on single stage incubation, click this link and select the third article.

If you are used to setting every week, how do you switch to single stage incubation?  You would need at least two incubators and set eggs every two weeks.  Your first egg set of the spring would be in one incubator.  Ten to fourteen days later (10 days if you are setting chicken eggs, 14 for ducks) you set all your eggs in the second incubator.  By rotating your egg set from one incubator to the other, you have created two single stage incubators!  Just be sure the incubator is capable of sufficient ventilation to cool itself when it is full of older, heat producing embryos.

The biggest advantage of the multi-stage incubator is that it is easy.  The disadvantage is the embryos will be slightly cool early in the incubation and slightly warm late in incubation.

I found the idea of a constant embryo temperature fascinating - and how that varies from the incubator temperature.  Do any of you have experience measuring shell temperatures or using single stage incubation?