Cayuga Ducklings

Baby Cayuga Ducklings for sale

• Dual purpose
• 130-180 eggs annually
• docile, friendly quiet
• Drakes 7.5 Lbs Hens 6.5 Lbs
• APA Medium duck
• Conservancy Status: Threatened

Cayugas are unusual, beautiful ducks. They are also quieter than many other breeds, and are sometimes described as "sweet. The Cayuga's color is its most distinguishing characteristic. It is black, with a beetle-green tint. The bill, legs, and feet are black as well, though the bill can have an olive tinge. As Cayugas age, their feathers will often begin to change colors - like some humans, they "go gray." Their feet will also begin to look more orange with age.

Interestingly, early in the season, Cayugas lay black eggs. As the season progresses the color of the eggs lightens, until the fall when the eggs are completely white.

Some breeds have a clear, well-documented history. We know the breeders who developed them, and the other breeds that make up their ancestry. The case is not so clear-cut with the Cayuga.

The word "Cayuga" is the name of a lake in New York and one story is that a miller captured two wild, black ducks on his mill pond in Dutchess County, New York, where Cayuga Lake is located. The miller pinioned the wild ducks, who promptly settled down and began producing copious offspring. It's a pretty good story, but there's not any evidence to back it up.

Another possibility is that the Cayuga originated from a black duck breed that was commonly found in Lancashire, England, but that has since disappeared because breeders preferred the Aylesbury.

The Cayuga was accepted into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874. The breed was a favorite with farmers until the 1890s when Pekins came to dominate the market.