The Magpie is a British breed of home duck. It has distinctive black and white markings paying homage to the European magpie and is an effective layer of huge eggs.
Magpie Duck profile
The Magpie duck is a lightweight breed of home duck developed within the early 20th century.
It’s raised as a normal function duck and named for its distinctive black and white plumage.
The Magpie duck was developed by Oliver Drake and M.C. Gower-Williams in Wales.
It’s supposed that the Magpie geese might have been created from the Belgian Huttegem and the Runner duck, primarily due to their dimension, plumage sample, and considerably upright carriage.
The Magpie is a lightweight breed, reaching weights of between 4 and 5 kilos. They’re named for his or her distinctively marked plumage.
The plumage is predominantly white, with a colored cap on the crown of the top, and a big colored patch extending alongside the again from shoulders to tail.
The Magpie is a protracted bodied chicken, with a broad head, and a protracted orange or yellow bill.
This duck’s physique carriage is fifteen to thirty levels above horizontal when relaxed and barely increased when agitated.
Normal varieties embrace Blacks and Blues. Some breeders have additionally developed nonstandard coloration varieties.
Magpie Duck History
The Magpie was bred after the top of the First World Struggle by M.C. Gower-Williams in Wales and Oliver Drake in Yorkshire.
The ancestry of the breed is just not identified; it might have included the Indian Runner, presumably with some effect of the Huttegem of Belgium.
The Magpie is first documented in 1920; a breeders’ membership was shaped in 1926.
At the moment, two-color varieties had been recognized, black-and-white, and blue-and-white.
The black-and-white remained the one color recognized by the Poultry Club of Great Britain till 1997 when blue-and-white and dun-and-white had been recognized.
Belgian Huttegem was a previous Belgian duck breed with potential Runner breed ancestry, which was standard within the duck elevating space north of Brussels.
And the outline of the Huttegem (kind of past work at the moment) is remarkably much like the trendy Magpie duck.
Within the year 1963 the breed was first imported to the US from Nice Britain, however didn’t develop into standard till 1984.
The breed remains to be one of many rarer types of domesticated duck.
Magpie duck entered the British Waterbird Requirements in 1926. And was admitted into the American Poultry Affiliation’s Normal of Perfection in 1977.
The Altrheiner Elsterenten, a duck with a similar plumage sample because the Magpie, was bred in Germany within the 1970s by Paul-Erwin Oswald.
The Entente Européenne treats it as an identical breed.
The Magpie was exported to the US in 1963, however, was not extensively stored. It was admitted to the American Normal of Perfection in 1977.
Magpie Duck Traits
Named for its distinctive black and white plumage, paying homage to the coloration of the European magpie, the standard instance of the breed is predominantly white with two massive black areas on the again and prime of the top.
Because the chicken ages the black cap will usually start to be flecked with white and should ultimately develop into fully white.
Blue, silver, and chocolate which could be very uncommon, are additionally color varieties that Magpies can are available in.
Nevertheless, blue is the one different selection in addition to black that’s recognized by the American Poultry Affiliation.
Related in the form to the Khaki Campbell, however extra substantial, the Magpie is reasonably streamlined with a considerably upright carriage that means Indian Runner duck in its ancestral bloodline.
The bill is yellow or orange, however turns inexperienced in older birds.
The Magpie Duck legs and feet are oranges however could also be mottled. The chest is rounded and the neck reasonably lengthy.
Males have, when absolutely feathered, curled feathers on the tail. Females have, when absolutely feathered, straight feathers on the tail.
Males weigh around 2.7 kg (6.Zero lb) on common, and females around 2.5 kg (5 1⁄2 lb), though the American customary specifies 1 pound (0.45 kg) decrease for every. They lay between 220–290 massive white eggs yearly.
They’re a hardy selection, lively foragers, and reside for roughly 9 to 12 years.
In line with the American Poultry Affiliation’s Normal of Perfection, the Magpie duck is classed as a lightweight breed of home duck.
And it’s named for its distinctive black and white plumage, paying homage to the coloration of the European Magpie.
It’s comparable in dimension and form because of the Khaki Campbell duck, however extra substantial.
And it’s reasonably streamlined with a considerably upright carriage that means the Indian Runner duck in its ancestral bloodline.
An agitated Magpie duck tends to face extra upright however a relaxed duck is extra horizontal.
The plumage of the Magpie duck is predominantly white with two massive black areas on the again and likewise on the highest of the top.
And the black cap will usually start to be flecked with white in accordance with the age of the geese.
The black cap might ultimately develop into fully white.
The invoice of the Magpie duck is yellow or orange, however turns inexperienced in older geese.
Their chest is rounded and the neck is reasonably long.
Magpie geese have orange-colored legs and ft, however could also be mottled.
The drakes have curled feathers on the tail when absolutely feathered. Whereas the geese have straight feathers on the tail when absolutely feathered.
There are numerous coloration types of the Magpie duck corresponding to Black & White, Blue & White, Chocolate & white, Dun & White.
However, the Black & White and Blue & White varieties are accepted by the American Poultry Affiliation’s Normal of Perfection.
The average physique weight of the Magpie duck is about 2 to 2.7 kg. And the drakes weigh about 2.5 to 3.2 kg on common.
Behavior Magpie Duck
Magpies are lively foragers that can graze and hunt for a large portion of their feed from grass, seeds, bugs, and aquatic life.
They eagerly seek and devour slugs, snails, and bugs; a lot in order that keepers of huge livestock discover that these geese are efficient at eliminating liver fluke infestations.
Magpies are good layers and can produce 220 to 290 eggs yearly.
Their meat is of connoisseur high quality. Carcasses will choose cleanly due to their gentle colored under-bellies, and every chicken will yield parts appropriate for 2 to 3 individuals.
Magpies are inclined to have excessive strung inclinations.
Whereas usually at dwelling on land and never able to sustained flight, they will propel themselves over a 2-Three foot wall if startled.
Utility
The Magpie duck was created as a normal function breed. They’re good layers and likewise good as a meat duck breed. It’s a good exhibition breed additionally.
Magpie Duck eggs
If dealt with repeatedly, the Magpie duck is often a relaxed and docile duck breed.
It develops into a pleasant breed and develops into simple to handle if dealt with repeatedly from a younger age.
The Magpie geese are very lively foragers and can graze and hunt for a large portion of their feed from grass, seeds, bugs, and aquatic life.
Whereas foraging, they devour and eagerly seek slugs, snails, and bugs. So the big-scale Magpie duck farmers discover these geese efficient for eliminating liver fluke infestations.
The Magpie geese are among the many good egg-laying duck breeds and lay between 220-290 eggs per year.
Their eggs are massive and white in coloration.
The meat of the Magpie duck is of connoisseur high quality and the carcasses will choose cleanly due to their gentle colored under-belies.
The breed could be very hardy, sturdy, and lengthy lived. The average lifespan of the Magpie duck is between 9 and 12 years. Assessment full breed profile of the Magpie duck within the chart beneath.
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