Elizabeth

Origin: Australia

Category: Light Breed

Egg Colour: White

Sitter:

In Construction

The Elizabeth duck was developed in Australia in Merrylands, New South Wales around 1972. It was the result of a breeding project by Lance Ruting, who named his ideal duck after his wife, Ann Elizabeth Ruting. Ruting created the Elizabeth from crosses between Rouen Claire and Mallard ducks. His goal was to produce a fast-growing duck breed which was good for table purposes but also beautiful to look at.

They are available in Australia and New Zealand although they are considered a rare breed.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Elizabeth duck is a very beautiful small sized meat duck breed. It has similarities to the Welsh Harlequin in coloring. But it is smaller and stockier bird than the Welsh Harlequin duck.

COLOUR - DRAKE

Elizabeth drakes have a glossy green head which ends at a white ring. Chest feathers are claret coloured and bordered in cream. It has an off-white underbelly, charcoal grey feathers on back also ringed with white, solid black rump and dull black-brown tail.

COLOUR - DUCK

The Elizabeth ducks come in only one color and they are short with a broad chest and round breast. They have rounded head and slightly short legs.

They come in only one colour and they are described as short, with a broad chest and round breast, slightly short legs and round head. Females are fawn coloured, with brown marks in the center of each feather on the majority of the body. Off-white primaries spotted with grey, and blue-green secondary flight feathers. Both sexes have grey bills, dark brown eyes and bronze legs.