They eagerly search for and consume slugs, snails, and insects; so much so that keepers of large livestock farms find that these ducks are effective at eliminating liver fluke infestations. Magpies are good layers and will produce 220-290 greenish-blue, brown speckled eggs yearly.
Magpie ducks are in the light class of ducks and range in weights between 4 to 5 pounds. They have two popular colour varieties which are both accepted by the American Poultry Association: Black and White, and Blue and White.
The Altrheiner Elsterenten, a duck with the same plumage pattern as the Magpie, was bred in Germany in the 1970s by Paul-Erwin Oswald. The Entente Européenne treats it as the same breed. The Magpie was exported to the United States in 1963, but was not widely kept.
Magpie Ducks Personalities
Typically, Magpie ducks are both docile and calm. They are not as easily startled as their Indian Runner duck ancestors but are still more high strung and prone to panic than Pekin, Rouen, and Khaki Campbell ducks.
In general, Pekin Ducks are social and interacting pets which are the best choice for a family pet duck. Indian Runner Duck- Indian Runner Ducks have a very unique appearance. They stand upright and instead of waddling, they run. Indian Runners are excellent egg layers.
The Magpie is a very attractive duck with striking plumage. They are great characters; active and very hardy, with an added bonus of being long-lived. Although the breed was developed in the 1920s, as a layer and table-bird, it survives mainly today as an exhibition breed.
Ducks bob their head up and down, often excitedly quacking when they are happy – when they see a duck friend they haven't seen in a while, when they get some tasty treats, when their pool is fresh and clean, when they have a pool party with all their friends…..if you see a lot of head bobbing going on, you have a happy ...
The Ancona averages 6-6.5 pounds and is a bit stockier than its close relative, the Magpie duck. It has a medium-sized oval head, a medium-length bill that's slightly concave along the top line, an average neck that arches forward slightly, and a body carriage that's 20-30 degrees above horizontal.
Found throughout eastern Australia and commonly mistaken for a Magpie, the Pied Currawong is a vocal bird known for it's distinctive “curra-wong” call.
Freckled Ducks are not your everyday duck - firstly you don't see them very often and physically, they are probably more closely related to swans than ducks. They are probably the rarest waterfowl in Australia.
The Madagascar Pochard, an otherwise fairly unassuming small brown diving duck confined to an island off Africa, is at the centre of a fascinating and ground-breaking conservation effort that has captured headlines because the species is recognised as the 'world's rarest duck'.
A group of Madagascar pochards, the world's rarest duck once feared lost, has been released into the wild as part of a pioneering conservation project to save this critically endangered bird from extinction.
All native duck species are protected and the most common native species found throughout NSW are the Pacific Black Duck and the Australian Wood Duck.
The Javan Green Magpie is one of the rarest and most endangered birds in the world.
The coastal and sub-coastal floodplains of the Northern Territory support Australia's largest populations of Magpie Geese, with the wetlands of Kakadu National Park supporting a significant percentage of the total magpie goose population of the Northern Territory.
The main breeds for meat production are Muscovy, Aylesbury, Pekin and Rouen. Various crosses between these four pure breeds are also suitable for meat. Most ducks produced commercially for meat in Australia are Pekin/Aylesbury crosses—the cross is predominantly Pekin.
Magpie ducks are beginner friendly ducks that have sweet dispositions. They are not known for broodiness and will lay 200-300 eggs per year (roughly 5 per week). These eggs come in a variety of colors, including, white, blue, or green.
The Pekin is a timeless classic in the duck-raising world. When most people picture a pet duck, the Pekin immediately comes to mind. These ducks have a calm and quiet personality, will reach roughly 8-10 lbs, and lay 4-5 white eggs per week. This makes them a great dual purpose duck.
If your duck cuddles with you, quacks and vocalize, nibbles on your feet and toes, bobs its head, and sleeps on your lap, these are the signs he likes you. He's comfortable enough to initiate showing affection and wants your attention.
Their intelligence is enough for them to remember the people they used to know or see most. They are more intact on imprinting with people, animals, or objects they have grown with. You can own ducks but once you take them under a caretaker, they will naturally recognize the caregiver more than you, the owner.
The sooner (and more frequently) they are around people, the better chance you're going to get them to like you. When you hold and pet your ducks, give them treats such as dried mealworms, small pieces of tomato, lettuce, kale — whatever their favorite healthy treats are. No duck junk food or bread!
Bedding. Pine shavings work fine for bedding, but our ducks prefer straw. Straw has wonderful insulating properties during colder months, keeping ducks warm; it also holds its shape better, so they don't end up sleeping on the cold wood or cement floor.
Lifespan. Approximately 5 - 10 years of age.
And since magpies can live between 25 and 30 years and are territorial, they can develop lifelong friendships with humans. This bond can extend to trusting certain people around their offspring.