Rouen

The Rouen ducks is a giant-sized duck bred from the natural Mallard. It has be called the most beautiful and magnificent of all the domesticated ducks. It is of glorious colour and of nice size.

In breeding of exhibition Rouens of very big size, fertility needs to be a focus. Two or three ducks to one drake is a good breeding group.

The drake is a bird of wonderful colour, and so is the duck, with her rich brown or chestnut, and each feather definitely marked with black or very dark brown lacing. The Rouen has very good table properties.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Head massive. Bill long, wide and flat, set on in a straight line from the top of the eye.

Eyes bold.

Neck long, tapering, and erect, slightly curved but not arched.

Body long, broad, and square, deep keel just clear of the ground from stem to stern ; broad and deep breast ; large wings well tucked to the sides ; very slightly elevated tail, the drake's having two or three curled feathers in the centre.

Legs of medium length ; stout shanks, well set to balance the body in a straight line. Toes straight, connected by web.

Carriage horizontal, the keel parallel with the ground and just clear of it.

Plumage tight and glossy.

COLOUR

THE DRAKE

Bill bright green-yellow, with black bean at the tip. Eyes dark hazel. Legs and Feet bright brick red.

Plumage - Head and Neck rich iridescent green to within about an inch of the shoulders where the ring appears. Ring perfectly white and cleanly cut, dividing the neck and breast colours, but not quite encircling the neck, leaving a small space at the back. Breast rich claret, coming well under; cleanly cut, not running into the body colour, and quite free from white pencilling or chain armour. Chain Armour or Flank Pencilling rich blue French grey, well pencilled across with glossy black, perfectly free from white, rust, or iron. Stern same as flank, very boldly pencilled close up to the vent, finishing in an indistinct curved line (perfectly free from white) followed by rich black feathers up to the tail coverts. Tail coverts black or slate-black with brown tinge, with two or three green-black curled feathers in the centre. Back and Rump rich green-black from between the shoulders to the rump. Wings: large coverts, pale clear grey ; small coverts, French grey very finely pencilled; pinion coverts, dark grey or slateblack ; bars (two, composed of one line of white in the centre of the small coverts) grey tipped with black, also forming a line at the base of the flight coverts, the latter feathers slate-black on the upper side of the quill and rich iridescent blue on the lower side, each of these feathers tipped with white at the end of the lower side, forming two distinct white bars (the pinion bar being edged with black) with a bold blue ribbon mark between the two, each colour being clear and distinct and making a striking contrast; flights slate-black with brown tinge free from white. (Note— Markings throughout the whole plumage should be cleanly cut and well defined in every detail, the colours distinct and not shading into each other.)

THE DUCK

Bill bright orange, with black bean at the tip, and with black saddle extending almost to each side and about two-thirds down towards the tip. Eyes dark hazel. Legs and Feet dull orange brown.

Plumage — Head rich (golden, almond, or chestnut) brown, with a wide brown-black line from the base of the bill to the neck, and very bold black lines across the head, above and below the eyes, filled in with smaller lines. Neck the same colour as the head, with a wide brown line at the back from the shoulders, shading to black at the head. Wings: bars, two distinct white bars with a bold blue ribbon-mark between, as in the drake; flights slate-black with brown tinge, no white. Remainder of plumage rich (golden, almond, or chestnut) brown of level shade, every feather distinctly pencilled from throat and breast to flank and stern, the markings to be rich black or very dark brown, the black pencilling on the rump having a green lustre.

WHITE

In Australia a White variety is also recognised. As in most other white ducks this colour variety has completely white plumage, yellow bill, legs and webs and blue eyes.

WEIGHTS

Weight - Drake: 10lb (4.55kg). Duck: 9lb (4.10kg)

(Note that the Australian Poultry Standards 2nd edition allows for a pound lighter than the weights above up to these weights. The above weights are taken from the British Poultry Standard referenced below.)

SCALE OF POINTS

Rouen Points from the British Poultry Standards referenced below.

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Leaden bill

• No wing bars

• White flights

• Stern broken down

• Wings down or twisted

• Any deformity

• The drake, black saddle, black bill or minus ring (on neck)

• The duck white, or approaching white, ring (on neck).

See Disqualifications

SOURCES

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] Public Domain accessed from: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629

• Popular breeds of domestic poultry, American and foreign, by John H. Robinson. Illustrated by Franklane L. Sewell, Arthur O. Schilling, contributing. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169152

• Australian Poultry Standards 2nd edition