We don’t know why, but the Khaki Campbell duck is not a popular duck breed in the United States, but it can be found all over the United Kingdom. It is an impressive egg layer, after all. Now, because we are 100% sure that you will immediately fall in love in this breed (for so many reasons), consider the hatcheries we have provided bellow as great options where you can find Khaki Campbell ducks for sale.
On this page, we figured we would take the time to look at Khaki Campbell Duck in a little bit more depth. This way you can know whether it is the right breed for you or not.
Khaki Campbell Duck Facts at a Glance
Temperament | Friendly and Docile |
Eggs | 340 per year |
Egg Shell Color | White |
Use | Eggs |
Weight | Male: 5 – 5.5 lb (2.3-2.5 kg) Female: 4.5 – 5 lb (2-2.3 kg) |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Status | Watch |
Foraging | Good |
The Interesting Story About How It Was Developed
Before we talk too much about the Campbell Duck, we do want to point out that this duck is sometimes referred to as the Khaki Duck.
This is actually a color variant of the Campbell Duck, but it is the most common one, and probably the only one that you are ever going to find in the United States.
Actually, this is the only variant recognized by the American Poultry Association, admitted back in 1941.
This breed did begin its life in the United Kingdom, though. It was first bred in 1887 by Mrs. Adele Campbell, which actually makes this duck rather unique since we never really know exactly where ducks come from when they are this old as this as a breed.
So, we guess that Adele Campbell was pretty good at keeping records. In fact, we even know the breeds that she developed the Campbell Duck from:
- English Wild Ducks
- Indian Runner ducks
- Rouen duck
- Mallard
Mrs. Adele told people that she wanted to bred a duck to take care of “the great appetite on the part of my husband and son for roast duckling”.
She then continued to add some more breeds into the mix when the duck was first launched which, ultimately, resulted in the Khaki Duck that we all know and love today.
The Khaki Campbell Duck was exported to the United States sometime in the 1900s.
It gained a small amount of popularity there, but it is now on a watch list for ducks that may end up becoming extinct in the country.
It is still thriving in the United Kingdom, though.
The Look of the Campbell Duck
The breed, as you can imagine, doesn’t look all that different from your typical duck breed. They have dark brown eyes, orange feet with brown shading. Their body is dark tan in a shade of khaki cloth.
There is barely any variation there ever. This duck breed only varies in color.
As we said, the bulk of the ducks that you will find classed as the Campbell Duck will come in Khaki colorings, but the duck breed is also in dark colors and white.
You won’t find the Campbell Duck appearing at bird shows for its good looks. Instead, you will find them appearing at commercial bird shows so people can sell on their breeding specimens. You will see why in a short while.
We are not saying that this isn’t a good looking duck. It is. It just tends not to be bred for the look, but more for the other benefits that it brings to the table.
The Campbell Duck as Meat Bird
The Khaki Campbell duck drakes will be raised as meat ducks. They grow fairly quickly up to 5.5 lb, and they are of a decent enough size that they provide a good amount of meat.
By all accounts, they taste delicious too.
Females will will grow up to 5 lb.
It is not the most common meat bird out there, but if you are doing a spot of homesteading, you will probably love to have this bird in your flock for meat purposes.
Khaki Campbell Duck Eggs
This is where the duck really thrives.
If you love your duck eggs, then there is literally no better option on the market than the Khaki Campbell duck eggs. In fact, this duck is better than the vast majority of chickens on the egg front.
The Khaki Campbell duck is able to lay 340 medium sized white eggs per year. This means that for each duck, there will be only a few days of the year where it isn’t producing any eggs.
So, if you have a flock of these, you will be gaining duck eggs nearly ever day of the year.
Of all the duck breed that you can raise commercially for eggs, then it is probably going to be this one.
Of course, the production of eggs means that it is going to be a great bird as a homesteader. In fact, we know of several people that are raising Khaki Campbell ducks for eggs as opposed to chickens!
The Lifespan of the Khaki Campbell Duck
We do not often point out the lifespan of ducks in these articles. This is because it mostly doesn’t matter.
Although, we will make an exception with the Campbell Duck.
The Khaki Campbell duck has a 10-year lifespan. This isn’t really anything exceptional. However, what is exceptional is the fact that this duck breed is able to produce quality eggs throughout its entire life.
Other duck breeds tend to have poor quality eggs as they get older (hence why they will be slaughtered before the end of their life), but the Campbell Duck is one that you can raise for eggs forever!
Khaki Campbell Duck Care
There are no known health issues related to the Campbell Duck. However, you really shouldn’t expect there to be.
This is a duck that has been raised commercially for over a century now, and any duck with health issues certainly wouldn’t have lasted that long.
This is a breed that is very much ‘hands-off’ in terms of raising. This means that you do not have to do much other than give it food.
Since this is a duck that has origins in wild duck breeds, you will be pleased to know that it is a good forager. This always helps to make good eggs. So, give them a lot of space that they can roam about in.
You will have to give this duck a wing clip. This is because it is a good flyer and, of course, you probably do not want the duck to be escaping your land.
Other than this, there isn’t much else that you need to know about the Campbell Duck. It really is an amazing bird for you to raise and it probably helps that it produces some good eggs.
It is a ridiculously friendly breed of duck too, which means that you should be able to form a connection with your ducks easily.
Since Khaki Campbell duck lay so many eggs, it is going to be easy to breed too. You shouldn’t have too many issues building up a large flock of these birds, whether for raising or sale, with just a few starters.
Where To Find Ducklings For Sale?
If you live near a hatchery where you can acquire this breed, that’s fantastic. If not, see our list of hatcheries where you can find Khaki Campbell ducks for sale.
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