Rouen ducks
Information on the breed
Rouen ducks - giant mallards - originated in France. Harrison Weir
(1902) commented that 'they are merely the wild duck enlarged by
domestication and high feeding'. The French know them as Rouen fonce
(dark) as opposed to the Rouen Clair, which are lighter-coloured
birds with one different colour gene (light phase instead of dark
phase).
Good Rouen have come a long way from the mallard. They are imposing
birds reaching 12lbs in weight - which is heavy for domestic
waterfowl. Although they have a massive body, they plod around quite
easily as long as they are kept where they get plenty of exercise on
grass, and with a pond or shallow stream.
Exhibition ducks have brilliantly coloured plumage in sunlight. They
are a rich, warm brown described as almond or chestnut. Each feather
is delicately marked with a darker line, or double or even triple
lines on the larger feathers. They are much more intricately marked
than the wild mallard duck. Blue Rouen have now been produced in
Germany by Mark Hoppe (see photos at the bottom of the page).
The drakes have the brilliant green head and white collar of the
mallard, but the body feathers are a bit darker, and should lack any
white feathers on the flank as it approaches the tail.
Once kept as a table bird, the real Rouen is not suited for this
purpose today. They are relatively slow growers compared with the
white commercial ducks which have been developed for the table.
Rouen do take a year and a half to reach their full size. The ducks
are not great egg layers- they cannot compete with the small, light
ducks. The amount they lay depends on the strain. Production Rouen,
which do lay more eggs, are not the same as the massive exhibition
birds.
| The Domestic Duck is now out in paperback. Information on the Rouen and other duck breeds. |
 |
