While bantam chickens are popular, there are very few bantam duck breeds around. The East Indie duck is one of only a few of them. On this page, we want to talk to you a little bit about the East Indie duck. This includes the history of the breed, and the reasons why they are raised nowadays.
Where Did East Indie Ducks Come From?
See, here is the thing. We do not actually know where the East Indie duck comes from. It was admitted to the APA back in 1874.
We have found some records saying that the East Indie duck has been developed in the 19th century in North America. Now, most people seem to believe that it originated in the United States, which makes sense.
However, nobody really knows why it has the name ‘East Indie Duck’ when it was never near that part of the world.
We can assume that it was named as such because people wanted the duck to see a little bit more exotic.
To make matters even more confusing, the East Indie duck has been known by several names over the years. This includes:
- Labrador
- Buenos Aierian
- Brazilian
Once again, the duck has not appeared in any of those countries, and nobody knows why it has that name.
The fact that is had different names, though, does indicate that it was likely developed by a lot of breeders rather than coming from a central point.
That being said, it is likely that the original form of this bird did come from Brazil. It was then imported to the United Kingdom and, in turn, was exported to the United States where it was developed into the Bantam breed.
The Look of the East Indie Duck
Obviously, the overall look of a duck doesn’t really vary drastically from breed to breed. The main difference between the duck breeds will be the coloring.
As we already said, the East Indie duck is a small breed. It is a bantam duck, after all.
In the 1800s they weighed around 3 pounds, but continued selection for size has resulted in a smaller duck. Today you are never going to find one that weighs more than 2 lb. (900 g).
The duck will always have black and green feathers. The bill will have black on it.
Honestly, it really is quite a gorgeous duck, looking very similar to the Mallard duck breed.
The East Duck for Show Purposes
The only reason why this duck is raised nowadays is for show purposes. It is an ornamental duck breed, after all. This means that you will likely find it at any duck show throughout the United States.
It is worth noting that since this is not a popular breed in Europe, you won’t find it featured all that much there. It hasn’t really gained traction outside of the United States.
Of course, owning this duck breed doesn’t mean that you do have to take it to shows. It is a duck breed that still looks good and you would probably love to have it in order to jazz up your pond or your garden.
Breeding East Indie Ducks
Because this is a duck that is so popular as a show bird, the breeding scene is pretty big. There are always going to be people throughout the United States that are looking to refine the look of the duck.
Due to the popularity of the bird for breeding, there is a lot of money to be made breeding these ducks. Although, you would probably have to be breeding a lot of them.
If you are new to to duck breeding, then do bear in mind that it would probably be years, sometimes longer, before you end up with an East Indie duck that is suitable for shows.
Many of the ducks that are not fit for shows are either slaughtered or sold on as pets.
If you buy an East Indie duck from a breeder, then you will probably need to have a bit of knowledge beforehand. You want to know that whatever you are picking up is suitable for duck shows.
There is one trait that these breeders are trying to remove from the breeding line at the moment.
This is white feathering. While the East Indie duck will always be born with the same sort of colored feathers, there are some which will grow up and experience white feathering.
Nobody quite knows whether this is genetic, but the ducks that have white feathering tend to be slaughtered as you cannot breed with them. Well, not if you want a show quality duck, that is.
The East Indie Duck for Meat and Eggs
Because they are breeding ducks, they are not used for their meat and eggs. Any eggs will likely be too small to eat, and the duck doesn’t have that much in the way of meat.
There is a small chance that many of the non-show-worthy ducks will be slaughtered for meat but, in many cases, they will be slaughtered shortly after their feathers grow in.
They will never grow to the point where they are suitable for meat.
Raising the East Indie Duck
This is an incredibly shy duck, even shyer than the Call duck breed. One of the quietest there is, in fact. This means that it can make an ideal animal if you live in a built-up area.
Of course, you will always want to ensure that the duck has access to a pond, etc.
There are no known health issues for this breed, which is surprising considering the amount of inbreeding that goes on with ornamental ducks.
Any of the issues that the East Indie Duck has tend to be actual duck issues, nothing that is specific to this breed.
It is worth pointing out that this duck is a very, very good flyer.
This means that it will need to have its wings clipped if it lives outside, otherwise it will fly away. You will need to clip 8 to 10 primary wing feathers once a year.
Moreover, a pen with a top is a must for this duck breed!
The smaller size of the duck also means that it tends to be a bigger target for predators.
Although, neither of these will really be major issues for those that are raising the East Indie duck with breeding in mind.
Most of them will be raised in strictly controlled conditions in order to ensure that the color of their features doesn’t change with exposure to sunlight and the elements.
Other interesting duck breeds:
– Abaco Ranger Duck
– Duclair Duck
– Dutch Hookbill Duck
