Pekin

The Pekin is a large domestic duck with all-white plumage, an orange bill, and orange legs. It ranks among the most common ducks on lifestyle blocks and back gardens, and most commercial duck meat sold in many countries traces to this breed or its descendants.

Adults are heavy and broad through the body. Drakes usually reach about 4.1 to 4.5 kg (9 to 10 lb) and ducks about 3.6 to 4.1 kg (8 to 9 lb), which sets the Pekin firmly in the large size class. Fast growth is part of the story: the breed hits market weight in roughly 7 to 8 weeks, which is much of why it became the standard table duck.

Alongside that size comes a temperament that is calm, good-natured, and docile. The Pekin is active by day, forages well, and puts up with handling, so keepers who want both production and an easy-going flock often land on it.

Who it suits

The Pekin is a good fit for keepers after a productive, low-drama duck. Its calm temperament makes it a fair choice for families and first-time waterfowl owners, and its size and hardiness suit lifestyle blocks and back-garden flocks with space and clean water. It is a poor match for anyone wanting a flying or strongly broody breed, since Pekins are too heavy to fly and tend to be inconsistent sitters.

The Pekin is named for Peking, the older English spelling of Beijing. It was developed in China from native white ducks selected for size and quick growth, and birds of this type had been raised around the capital region for generations before they reached the West.

The breed arrived in the United States in 1873, when a small group of birds was shipped from China to New York. From that founding stock the Pekin spread quickly through American duck farms, and Long Island in New York grew into the centre of a large duck-rearing industry that ran for decades. The term "Long Island duckling" comes from this trade.

Pekins reached Britain at about the same time, in the early 1870s, and the breed entered the American Standard of Perfection in 1874. European and American breeders later selected for slightly different body types, but both lines trace to the same Chinese origin.

Through its fast growth and reliable yield, the Pekin became the base of the modern commercial duck. Most meat ducks raised worldwide today descend from it, and it stays common in industry and in back-garden flocks alike, New Zealand lifestyle blocks among them.

The Pekin carries a large, deep, rectangular body at a slightly upright angle. The head is rounded, the neck thick, and the breast broad and full. Plumage is white, often with a creamy or pale-yellow tint rather than pure snow-white. The bill, legs, and webbed feet are orange, and the eyes are dark and set deep, so they can look almost hidden against the full head.

Coat and colours

The Pekin carries one recognised colour: white. The shade ranges from clean white to a soft cream, and birds raised on grass or marigold-rich feed can take on a deeper yellow cast. Plumage is dense and water-repellent, sitting over a heavy layer of down that keeps the bird warm in cold and wet conditions. Drakes and ducks look almost identical apart from size and the drake's curled tail feathers. The drake's voice is also quieter and hoarser, while the duck has the louder, classic quack.

The Pekin has an even, good-natured temperament. It is calm and docile around people, settles fast when handled regularly, and is generally one of the easier ducks to manage in a back garden. Many keepers find individual birds curious and friendly, above all when raised from ducklings and hand-fed.

With families the breed is gentle and rarely aggressive. Drakes can grow pushy during the breeding season, but the Pekin is far less territorial than many other waterfowl. New people usually meet wariness that soon eases, and the ducks throw up a loud alarm with their quacking when startled.

Around other animals the Pekin mixes well. It lives alongside chickens, geese, and other duck breeds, and its calm nature means it seldom starts trouble. The birds are active through daylight, foraging for insects, slugs, and plants, and they are happiest with room to roam and water to dabble in.

Grooming

• Provide open water deep enough for the duck to dip its whole head and splash, which keeps eyes, nostrils, and feathers clean.
• Let the duck preen and spread its own oils after bathing; healthy Pekins waterproof themselves and need no bathing by hand.
• Check the orange bill and legs for cuts or scale problems during routine handling.
• Trim nails only if they overgrow, which is uncommon in birds kept on varied ground.

Exercise

• Allow daily access to a run or yard for foraging, walking, and dabbling.
• Keep a pond, paddling pool, or large tub available; swimming is the breed's main exercise.
• Keep a flock of at least two or three birds, since Pekins are social and more active in company.
• Avoid hard paving for long periods, which can strain the legs of such a heavy bird.

Environment

Pekins take cold and wet weather in their stride thanks to dense down, but they need shade and plenty of drinking water in heat, since the breed copes poorly with high temperatures. Bedding should stay dry to head off foot problems. A low shelter with a wide door works better than a raised coop, because heavy ducks do not climb ramps easily. In warmer parts of New Zealand, summer shade and cool water are the main concern.

Pekins are large, fast-growing ducks, so feed quality counts most through the first weeks. Ducklings need a starter ration with adequate niacin, since ducks require more of this vitamin than chickens and a shortage brings on leg weakness. Once growth slows, adults shift to a maintenance or layer ration depending on whether they are laying. Ducks foraging on grass and insects eat less prepared feed but still gain from a balanced base ration.

Treats and supplements

Leafy greens, peas, chopped vegetables, mealworms, and earthworms make good treats and should stay under about 10 percent of the diet. Provide insoluble grit if the ducks do not forage on open ground, since they need it to grind food. Laying ducks need a separate source of calcium such as crushed oyster shell offered free-choice.

The Pekin is a robust breed with few inherited disorders. Given good feeding and clean housing, a Pekin commonly lives 8 to 12 years, though heavy birds bred hard for fast meat production can have shorter lives. Most problems a keeper meets come from the duck's size and from management rather than from genetics.

Preventive care

• Feed a niacin-adequate starter to ducklings during the rapid growth phase.
• Keep bedding dry and provide clean swimming and drinking water.
• Give shade, ventilation, and extra water in hot weather.
• Avoid long periods on hard or abrasive surfaces.
• Inspect feet and legs regularly during handling.

Pekins live outdoors in a secure run with a sheltered house for night and rough weather. Being heavy and flightless, they need fencing only to keep ground predators out, but it must be solid, since the breed has little defence against dogs, mustelids, and other predators. The house should sit at ground level with a wide low entrance, dry bedding such as straw or wood shavings, and good ventilation.

Setup checklist

• Ground-level house with a wide, low door
• Dry bedding refreshed regularly
• Shaded area for hot days
• Drinking water available at all times
• A pool, tub, or pond for bathing
• Predator-proof fencing and a lockable night shelter

Pekin eggs take about 28 days to hatch, a little longer than chicken eggs. Pekins are inconsistent brooders and many hens will not reliably sit a full clutch, so keepers often reach for an incubator or a broody bird of another breed. Whether under a hen or in a machine, the eggs need stable temperature, controlled humidity, and regular turning until the final days.

Hatching steps

1. Select clean, well-shaped eggs and rest them 12 to 24 hours, large end up, before setting.
2. Warm the incubator to the target temperature and humidity before adding eggs.
3. Turn the eggs several times a day through about day 25.
4. From around day 7, candle to check fertility and remove clear or dead eggs.
5. At day 25, stop turning, raise humidity, and let the eggs settle for the lockdown period.
6. Leave hatched ducklings in the incubator until dry, then move them to a warm brooder.