Although it seems that White Crested Ducks appeal the most to people who want to raise them for ornamental reasons, they are great production birds. And they have been a productive duck breed for hundreds of years, being featured in paintings and art as early as 1660.
It seems that White Crested Ducks were very popular ducks for farms and backyards until the early 1900s. Then the new hybrids and super-producers probably out-shown the Crested Ducks. But funnily enough, they regained popularity and were truly revived in the 1980s. It seems that the Crests appealed to the Big Hairstyles of the '80s!
It doesn't matter why White Crested Duck regained their place in duck popularity - we are just thankful that they did, as they are a great breed of duck. The most striking feature of these ducks is the puffy white crests of feathers on their heads.
These birds can be a bit skitterish and shy, but they are smart and very hardy.
White Crested Ducks are a nice, medium-sized meat bird, weighing between 6 and 7.25 pounds at maturity. They are also good egg layers, laying between 100-130 eggs per year.
The crest, which is a pom-pom of feathers on the back of the head, is a mutation that can appear in any breed of duck. With the White Crested Duck, the crest was selected for in breeding programs. If you breed two White Crested Ducks, your ducklings probably won't all have crests.
White Crested Ducks are pure white with yellow-orange bills and light orange legs and feet. They are not considered an endangered breed at this point, but they are recognized by the APA in the Medium Duck Class.
