Mallard Duck Hatching Eggs
The Mallard Duck is the canonical classic duck. It is probably the most widespread breed of duck on earth. The green-headed Mallard duck is the ancestor species of almost every other duck breed. The Muscovy is the only type of duck not descended from the Mallard.
Males have a brilliant green head with flashy coloring over their bodies. Females have pretty faces and are mostly brown with black and gray lines, the only embellishment being the slash of white and blue of the "speculum" patch on the wing. Mallards are good fliers.
Mallards are very close to being wild ducks. They are small in size weighing between 2 and 2.4 pounds as adults but are good choices as production birds. Their meat is flavorful and well-respected by cooks and foodies. Females can lay up to 140 eggs per year.
Temperament-wise, Mallard Ducks retain the cautiousness and shyness of their wild counterparts. Ducklings raised with humans tend to be friendlier or at least more comfortable with humans. Mallards, like all ducks, are social with other ducks and birds. They should be raised with other Mallards for maximum social comfort.
Mallards do need access to water and are most comfortable in the water. Their legs are spaced very widely, so they are clumsy on land but graceful and fast in the water. They are dabbler ducks and sometimes enjoy diving as well. Pairs are mostly monogamous, and paired Mallards can do elaborate courtship displays. Nests are made on the ground and females perform incubation and care of the hatchlings.
Mallard Ducks have a long and colorful history with humankind. They have been domesticated, hunted, and enjoyed for centuries. The domestic lines of Mallards are different from the wild lines. It is important that people keeping domestically-bred Mallards don’t allow them to crossbreed with the birds of feral populations.
Hatching eggs are a great way to start a flock of Mallard Ducks. Incubation should take between 26 and 27 days at optimal conditions.
