Elizabeth duck is a breed of domestic duck that originated in Australia. It is a dark brown duck with white feathering on the body (primarily around the head and neck), chest, back, and wings, a greenish-yellow bill, dark legs, and feet.
Elizabeth was created by crossing black Australian ducks with mallard drakes. Breeding them together led to a unique breed that is difficult to find outside Australia.
The ducks can be kept both as pets and for consumption. Like many domestic ducks, they do not usually reach full maturity until 8-10 months of age; young are generally ready for market at around 28 weeks.
Characteristics
A brown body with white feathers on the wings, back, stomach, neck, and head. The feet and bills are also a greenish-yellow color.
The eyes are a rich reddish-golden color. They have small tufts of feathers on their heads that help differentiate them from black Australians and mallards.
They also have less of an overbite than black Australians but have similarities with mallard ducks.
The males are a little larger than the females, and the males are darker. Egg Laying
The females lay from September to January.
They lay from 5-10 large eggs per week. The eggs should be incubated for 23 days at a constant temperature of 75-78F.
The hatch rate is about 95%. Normally, it takes about 8 weeks for the ducks to grow enough for market size, but males can be ready for market sooner.
Appearance
Elizabeth ducks are a bright brown with a white face, chest, and back. The neck, belly, and lower legs are whitish. They have greenish-yellow feet and bills. The eyes are a rich reddish-golden color.
The males are a little larger than the females, with darker brown feathers that vary slightly in color, but they all have some white feathering on the head, chest, and back, similar to the females.
How To Identify Elizabeth Duck?
The main identifying feature of an Elizabeth duck is its appearance: primarily dark brown with white plumage.
It can be confused with the Chinese back, but this duck generally has a longer neck and legs.
Both breeds’ white feathering on the body, wings, and tail may be messy or broken up in their first few months of life.
Elizabeth ducks are relatively small and compact compared to other domestic waterfowl, making them well-suited to backyard flocks.
Diet
Elizabeth ducks require similar care to other domestic waterfowl. They do not fly well and cannot escape predators when free-ranging, so they should always be protected from hawks, cats, and other wild animals by fencing or a covered enclosure.
Elizabeth ducks are omnivores but prefer to feed on grass, grains, and seeds. To produce better egg-laying, the ducklings must be fed a mixture of corn and millet at every feeding.
Elizabeth’s eggs should be laid in a warm environment as they are more susceptible to infection than ducks in a more tropical climate.
Behavioral
Elizabeth ducks are quiet, docile, and friendly. They love to interact with their flock mates, even if they’re only a few inches away from them.
When kept in pairs or small groups, they can become quite vocal and boisterous. Elizabeth ducks tend to be very quiet in larger flocks and will not compete for food.
The Benefit Of Elizabeth Duck
1. They are easy to raise.
2. Their eggs are usually larger than a mallard, and they hatch earlier than Mallard ducks.
3. They mature faster than other breeds of domestic duck.
4. They have a better meat quality than other breeds because of their early maturity, meat tenderness, and less fat content when compared to other breeds (3-4%).
5. They are suitable with a better taste overall than other domestic duck breeds.
6. Uterus can be kept open, which is not the case with other breeds. This allows for earlier hatching and stands a better chance of survival.
7. They love the water and will dive down to the nearest pool even if they have never seen water before in their lives.
8. There is a lower risk of fire when compared to other breeds because of their lighter plumage.
9. They are more resistant to stress than other breeds.
10. They have less overbite than black Australians and mallards, leading to a better bite quality with a less overheating tendency (cheekiness).
Weaknesses
Elizabeth ducks are prone to hatching in poor condition and are often malnourished in the first few weeks. The chicks do not show a good survival rate, which can be attributed to their
small size when they hatch. It is important to follow basic rearing techniques such as maintaining a constant incubation temperature to get a better hatch and avoid the risks of chicks developing into malnourished specimens.
Best 10+ Information
| Breed Name: | Elizabeth duck |
| Breed Purpose: | Meat and eggs. |
| Breed Class, size: | Small; Medium-large. |
| Climate Tolerance: | Frost-hardy, mild climate. |
| Temperament: | Intelligent and easy to handle. |
| Color: | Brown, white. |
| Country/Place of Origin: | Australia |
| Rarity: | Rare. |
| As Pets: | Yes |
| Lifespan: | Elizabeth ducks can live for up to ten years. |
| Diet: | Omnivorous. |
Disadvantage
- They are not very good foragers, but this can be improved with training and a varied diet. They are not particularly fond of water.
- When kept together with other breeds, the Elizabeth ducks will always try to match or exceed the different breed’s body sizes.
- Elizabeth ducks have been bred to lay large eggs, which is great for egg production and uses less feed than a meatier breed.
- One of the main disadvantages of the Elizabeth duck is excessive egg-laying. In some cases, Elizabeth ducks will lay more than 300 eggs per year and even 500 eggs per year.
Uses
Elizabeth ducks have a range of uses. They are raised as livestock for meat, eggs, and feathers used in fishing flies.
They are favored poultry birds by duck hunters. Their meat is tender and lean with a mild flavor that is preferable to other duck breeds.
Elizabeth ducks can be kept in confinement or roam freely throughout the yard or on a pond.
Diseases
The most common disease affecting Elizabeth ducks is duck plague, caused by the bacterium “Clinical signs and treatment of “Clinical symptoms and treatment of duck plague.
Elizabeth ducks may also be susceptible to other diseases such as coccidiosis, salmonellosis, and feather mites.
Do not handle infected Elizabeth ducks until they have recovered from the disease or are treated with strong antibiotics.
Remedy
Elizabeth ducks are very susceptible to pneumonia, so keeping them warm and dry when necessary will help prevent it.
To prevent the spread of disease among Elizabeth ducks, do not adopt sick ducklings or other sick Elizabeth ducks.
Elizabeth ducks’ feathers are the perfect breeding ground for mites, so look down at their feet to inspect their feathers before buying a duckling.
Process for washing Elizabeth duck feathers.
Feather mites are treated with a compound called Ivermectin or with Ivermectin and an antibiotic mix.
Special Notes
Elizabeth ducks are susceptible to low flock morale, and the flock’s death can result from this.
The Elizabeth duck is not a durable breed, and in some cases where they have been bred with other species (such as Chinese back), it can cause more problems.
Ducks tend to be nervous birds, so when you add in the stress of breeding them, you may find that your Elizabeth duck has developed a more nervous disposition.
It would be best to learn how to calm them down during the breeding season.
Conclusion
The Elizabeth duck is a robust bird. They are easy to handle and make great pets.
Breeding them is not difficult, but you should be aware of the basic needs of the breed and have the right environment in place to allow them to produce successfully. Thank you for reading my article!
