The Khaki Campbell Duck

My husband is a duck fanatic. He fell in love with the Khaki Campbell (which he fondly calls his "brown ducks") years ago. While we don't breed them for show, we do have a small flock around for entertainment. We also hatch a few and sell a few each year.  Duck eggs are great for baking. The Khaki Campbell is a great laying duck. Our ducks tend to lay better, even in winter, than our chickens do!

 "Mrs. Adele Campbell of Gloucestershire, England, developed this breed late in the 1800s with the goal of providing her husband and son with a consistent supply of roast duckling. She crossed her Fawn and White Indian Runner, an exceptional layer, with a Rouen to create offspring that would lay well and have bigger bodies. From this humble foundation, one of the world's most prolific egg laying breed, the Campbell, was developed. The breed was introduced to the public in 1898 with these original Campbells resembling poorly colored Mallards. In an attempt to create a buff duck (buff colored feathers were a fad at this time), Mrs. Campbell mated her original Campbells back to Penciled Runner ducks. The resulting color, not quite buff, reminded Mrs. Campbell of British army uniforms, so she named these new ducks "Khaki Campbell." (Holderread, 2001) Campbells made their way to the United States in 1929 through importation by Perry Fish of Syracuse, New York. By 1941, they were recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) in its American Standard of Perfection, but their numbers languished for many years. This changed in the 1970's when Khaki Campbell numbers increased dramatically in the United States due to a back-to-the-land movement, a surge of duck-egg-loving Asian immigrants after the Vietnam War, and the importation of a particularly productive strain of Khaki Campbells in 1977." (Holderread, 2001)

"The Campbell duck is a light weight bird that on average weighs 4 to 4 1/2 pounds. They are active, streamlined birds with a modestly long head, bill, neck, and body, and a sprightly body carriage of 20 to 40 degrees above horizontal (Holderread, 2001). There are four color varieties of Campbell ducks in North America: Khaki, White, Dark, and Pied, with Khaki being the only one recognized by the APA. The Khaki drake has a green bill, rich dark-orange legs and feet, and dark brown eyes. Its head, upper neck, lower back, and tail culverts are brown-bronze while the rest of the drake's plumage is a warm khaki. The Khaki duck has a green bill and dark brown eyes and its legs and feet are brown. The ducks head, upper neck, and lower back are seal-brown and the rest of the plumage is khaki. Dark Campbells, developed in Europe in an attempt to provide sex linkage, are a darker version of the Khaki. The White Campbell, bred as a "sport" variety, is pure white, with vivid orange legs, feet, and bill. (Batty, 1985) The Pied has fawn plumage.

"Campbells are prolific layers and active foragers. Most Campbells lay their first eggs when 5-7 months old and will average 250-340 eggs of superb texture and flavor per year. With an age staggered flock, one may have eggs year-round. Campells are high-strung and energetic, and need plenty of space to graze and forage. (Ives, 1947) "If they consume an adequate diet, are kept calm, provided sufficient space, and run in flocks consisting of no more than 50 to 200 birds, Campbells have proven to be amazingly adaptable. They have performed admirably in environments ranging from arid deserts with temperatures of 100°F, to humid tropical rainforests with more than 200 inches of annual precipitation, to cold Northern regions where temperatures can remain below 0°F for weeks at a time." (Holderread, 2001)

"When choosing breeders, select robust, active, strong-legged birds with a history of good laying and foraging ability. Make sure you acquire authentic Campbells that have been selected for egg production. Crossbreeds with telltale signs of facial stripes or weights above six pounds may be sold as Campbells, but they do not lay well."

Batty, J. Domesticated Ducks and Geese. Liss, England: Nimrod Book Services, 1985.
Holderread, Dave. Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, Inc., 2001.
Ives, Paul. Domestic Geese and Ducks. New York: Orange Judd Publishing Company, Inc., 1947. 

Livestock Conservancy

• Conservation Status: “Watch” 
• Use: Eggs
• Egg Color: White, Tinted
• Egg Size: Large
• Egg Production:  250-340 annually
• Temperament:  Energetic 
• Maternal Instincts:  moderate setters
• Growth Rate: 5-7 months to lay
• Live weight: Male 4 - 4.5 lbs
• Harvest weight: 3.5 lbs - 4 lbs