Rouen Clair

Origin:  France

Category:  Heavy Breed Duck

Egg Colour:  White

Sitter:  Yes

The Rouen Clair is a modern development of the traditional Mallard-coloured ducks from the Rouen area of France. It is distinguished from the Rouen by the pale (Isabelle clair) ground colour of the female, the slightly upright carriage and a number of other characteristics common to the light-phase plumage.

The Rouen Clair, whilst still a heavy breed, is more of a utility duck than the Rouen, being smaller and more elevated in carriage.

Whilst the Rouen (Fonce) has dark phase Mallard colouration, the Rouen Claire has light phase Mallard colouration.

During the latter half of the 19th century, the French utility ducks were selectively bred until they were up to around the 3.5kg mark in weight. This was done in attempt to keep up with the weights being attained by other duck breeds, bearing in mind that they were being kept for the table.

A French breeder Rene Garry, used a selection of local ducks from farms in the Picardie area in order to develop the Rouen Clair. After 10 years of work, he attained the size, type and colour he was aiming for. By 1920, he had birds up to 4.5kg in weight. Collaborating with a Dr Rame, Rene Garry established the written standard for the Rouen Clair in May 1923. It was accepted by the National Federation of Poultry Societies of France on 7 November 1923.

The Rouen Clair, like many other French breeds, became more and more rare, with the Second World War in particular having a major impact. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the breed again reached the level of perfection that Rene Garry had them to in the 1920s.

The Rouen Clair was first included in the 1982 4th edition of the British Poultry Standards, when a number of duck and goose breeds were included for the first time (along with Blue Swedish, Saxony, Silver Appleyard and Welsh Harlequin).

The Rouen Clair are reported to be significantly better layers than the Rouen (Fonce), laying 80 gram eggs, and the fertility rates are somewhat higher, which is understandable given that they are a more active breed.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

COLOUR

WEIGHTS

SCALE OF POINTS

Duck Points Scale from Universal Waterfowl Standards by Grow, O (1956).

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Any keel in duck or drake

• Missing eye stripes in the duck

• No white stern in the drake

See Disqualifications

SOURCES

• The Poultry Club of Great Britain.

https://www.poultryclub.org/breeds/ducks/ducks-heavy/rouen-clair

• Australian Poultry Standards 2nd edition

• Articles and sources as follows mentioned in BOTW: Article – Le Rouen Clair (in French) by Pierre-Alain Falquet, 1998; Article - Rouen and Rouen Clair by Dirk de Jong and Kenneth Broeekman (Aviculture-Europe 2007); The Domesticated Duck, by Chris and Mike Ashton

• Breed of the Week post in Exhibition Poultry Australia (BYP). https://www.facebook.com/groups/exhibitionpoultryaustralia/permalink/1817588581692594/