The Black East Indies is a decorative breed of domestic ducks. In spite of the breeds name, it was never developed or breed in the East Indies (now Southeast Asia). It was first bred in the United States in the early 19th century. Some raisers started to call it the East Indies and this particular breed is distinguished by its attractive appearance: jet black color, iridescent green feather coverings and dark bills.

The females can sometimes grow white tinge feathers as they mature. A bantam breed weighing around 2 lbs, Black East Indies are widely raised by hobbyists for exhibition purposes. Being small, they are known as good fliers. This breed was formally recognized by the American Poultry Associations Standard of Perfection in 1875. The Black East Indies duck is… Continue reading Keeping Black East Indies Ducks

Whether you have freshly hatched ducks just out from their egg shells, or you have day-old ducks from a farm or a shop, raising and keeping them can be quite a very challenging task, and thats because they always need special attention and care. Nonetheless, with persistence, it should be fairly easy for you to keep and raise your baby ducklings until they are mature ducks.

The first thing you need to do is to find a warm and comfortable resting place for your baby ducks. When they are newly hatched, ducks are totally wet. Typically, it takes at least 3 hours for them to naturally dry, and before you can take them to a farm incubator, they need to be completely dry. Also, you should take note that a… Continue reading Keeping Baby Ducks

How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Ducks

Basically, to determine the sex of your ducks, check their feather colors. Whether you grow or own ducks for pets, or for meat and egg production, you should be well-oriented that there are different varieties and breeds that come with distinct colors. One of the most common types is the mallard duck. Like any other breeds, you can determine the sex by observing their color appearance. Males have a vivid color and their heads are green. They also have a white ring around their necks. On the other hand, females have varieties of speckled brown. This is true for most breeds of ducks, with the males being more vivid in appearance than the female.

You should try to determine the sex… Continue reading How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Ducks