Shetland Duck: Characteristics, Origins, Uses, and Complete Breed Information

The Shetland duck is currently an endangered breed of domestic duck. He is originally from Shetland Island, in the far north of Scotland. Due to the appearance of the breed, it is believed to have originated from the Pomeranian duck or the Swedish blue duck.

The Shetland duck originates from the Shetland Islands in Scotland, which is the northern part of the United Kingdom. It is believed that the Vikings brought Shetland ducks to Britain. This is one of the rarest breeds of ducks today, and its conservation requires special attention.

In fact, the breed was thought to be extinct in the early 1990s until a pack was discovered in the Shetland Islands and their numbers began to multiply. Below are the characteristics, uses, special notes, and a complete profile of the Shetland duck breed.

Characteristics of the Shetland duck

The Shetland duck is a small breed of duck. Externally, it resembles its ancestors, the Pomeranian and Swedish blue ducks. It is a very attractive bird, slightly larger than a mallard. The breed is black with a white bib and usually has blue beaks.

Drakes and ducks are dark black in color with a white bib when mature. Although the bib tends to be non-standard. The main difference between Shetland ducks and drakes is their beak. In ducks, the beak is almost black, in drakes it is dark green.

Drakes have orange legs, while ducks have black legs. Ducklings are dark brown with a yellow breast and the color contrast will increase with age.

The adult Shetland duck has glossy black plumage with green/blue margins, similar to the Cayuga. But with a white chest and sometimes with white spots on the head. The white plumage increases with the age of the ducks.

The average weight of these ducks is about 1.8 kg, and the weight of drakes is about 2 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.

Advantages

Shetland ducks are bred primarily for egg production. The breed is not suitable for meat production due to its small size.

Special Notes

Shetland ducks are a fairly tough and cold-resistant breed. They are busy ducks, always active and very good foragers. They are very friendly with a calm temperament. They are cute and productive birds for everyone, although they are good for beginners.

Ducks typically lay up to 150 eggs per year and tend to keep brooding. The color of their eggs is white. However, check out the full profile of this duck breed in the table below.