Khaki Campbell Ducks: Characteristics, Origin, Uses

Khaki Campbell duck is one of the best, famous and most popular egg laying breed of domestic duck. It is a pretty old breed that originated in England and was introduced to the public in 1898.

The Khaki Campbell duck was developed by Mrs. Adele Campbell of Uley, Gloucestershire, England. She was a poultry keeper and purchased an Indian Runner duck of indiscriminate type which was an exceptional egg layer.

That Indian Runner duck formed the basis in developing the Campbell ducks. According to Mrs. Adele Campbell ‘various matings of Rouen, Indian Runner and Wild Duck were resorted to produce them’. And the resulting ducks were prolific layers.

She resorted to further cross-mating in an attempt to develop a more attractive buff-colored duck. And in January 1901, the resulting progeny was introduced to the public. The resulting color, not quite buff, reminded Mrs.

Campbell of British army uniforms, so she named these new breed as ‘Khaki Campbell duck’. The Khaki Campbell duck was accepted to the Standards of the Poultry Club, United Kingdom in 1924.

The breed made it’s way to the United States in 1929. Perry Fish of Syracuse, New York imported this breed. And the Khaki Campbell duck was admitted into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of perfection in 1941. But the number of this breed languished for many years in the United States.

Although the numbers increased dramatically by the 1970s. Today the Khaki Campbell duck is one of the most popular egg laying duck breeds and available throughout the world.

Khaki Campbell Duck Characteristics

The Khaki Campbell duck is a light weight bird. They have a modestly long body, head, bill and neck. Khaki Campbell ducks have a sprightly body carriage of 20 to 40 degrees above horizontal. The drakes have a green bill, rich dark-orange legs and feet.

They have dark brown eyes. The head, upper neck, lower back and tail culverts of the drakes are brown-bronze. And rest of the drake’s plumage is a warm khaki. The female Khaki Campbell has a green bill.

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They have dark brown eyes and their legs and feet are brown. Their head, upper neck and lower back are seal-brown in color. Rest of their body plumage is khaki in color. Average body weight of the Khaki Campbell duck is about 1.3 to 2.2 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.

Feeding

Khaki Campbells are just like many other domestic duck breeds. If you allow them to roam freely, then they will eat insects, fish, oyster, snails etc. But if you don’t allow your ducks to roam freely, then you have to provide them with commercially prepared duck feed. Generally, a mature Khaki Campbell will consume around or up to 130 grams of food daily.

Breeding

Khaki Campbell ducks are naturally excellent breeders. They will breed easily if you keep good ratio of males and females in your flock. Generally one male is enough for breeding around or up to 8-10 females.

Caring

The Khaki Campbell ducks are naturally very strong and hardy birds, and they generally require less caring and other management. Although taking additional caring will ensure good growth and also good health of the birds. Vaccinate your birds timely and provide them with required medicines.

Uses

Most of the people are raising Khaki Campbell ducks mainly for their excellent egg laying ability. They are one of the most popular and best egg laying duck breeds. They are very suitable for commercial duck farming business. The breed is also pretty good for meat production.

Special Notes

The Khaki Campbell ducks are robust, active and very strong birds. Despite popular misconceptions of skittish or flighty behavior, the Khaki Campbells are a very gentle, passive and friendly breed when raised by hand until maturity.

They have excellent laying and foraging ability. Ducks start laying eggs at their 5 to 7 months of age. And on average a duck lay about 300 eggs per year. But the ducks can lay more eggs when provided a moderate duck conscious and environment to live.

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The eggs are white or tinted in color and are of superb texture and flavor. As a strong and energetic breed, the Khaki Campbell duck require plenty of space to graze and forage. They are proven to be amazingly adaptable and are usually good birds for families with young and children to use and care for.

These ducks can perform well in almost all types of climates. They are also very cold hardy. However, review full breed profile of this duck breed in the following chart.

Breed NameKhaki Campbell
Other NameNone
Breed PurposeEggs
Special NotesActive, Calm, Excellent Foragers, Energetic, Strong, Friendly
Breed ClassLight
BroodinessAverage
Weight1.3 to 2.2 kg
Climate ToleranceAll Climates
Egg ColorWhite or Tinted
Egg SizeLarge
Egg WeightAverage 70 grams
Egg ProductivityHigh
Flying AbilityMedium
RarityCommon
VarietiesKhaki
Country of OriginEngland

Frequently Asked Questions

People ask many questions about Khaki Campbell ducks. Here we are listing the most common questions about this beautiful and productive duck breed, and trying to answer them. Hope you will find your answer. Don’t hesitate to ask us if you have more questions.

Is Khaki Campbell duck farming profitable?

Yes, commercial production of Khaki Campbell ducks is a very profitable business. Khaki Campbell is a highly egg productive duck and they are very good for commercial eggs production purpose.

How to start Khaki Campbell duck farming business?

Starting Khaki Campbell duck farming commercially is very easy and simple. You can easily start this business even if you are a beginner. First of all select a very good location for your farm, make a good house for your birds, purchase good quality birds, feed them with good quality and nutritious food, vaccinate them timely and provide required medicines and always try to take good care of your birds.

Do Khaki Campbell ducks need a pond?

No, having a pond is not mandatory for eggs production. Your ducks will lay eggs continuously without a pond. You just need to have a pond only if you want to produce fertile eggs.

Are Khaki Campbell ducks good pets?

Yes, they are good as pets. They are actually a very good choice for young families and children to raise.

What color eggs do Khaki Campbells lay?

Generally, these ducks lay white colored eggs.

What is the price of Khaki Campbell duck in India?

Depends on numerous factors and can vary from place to place. But you can expect the price of ducklings between Rs 30 to Rs 50 per piece.

Is Khaki Campbell better than Indian Runner duck?

Yes, Khaki Campbells are better than Indian Runner and Zending ducks in case of eggs production.

Do Khaki Campbell ducks need water?

No, they don’t need water to play in, but they sure do enjoy playing with water. But they need a lot of fresh water daily to drink.

How long do Khaki Campbells live?

Average lifespan of the Khaki Campbell ducks is between 10 and 15 years.

Can Khaki Campbell ducks fly?

Yes, Khaki Campbells can fly to some distance. But they are not among the excellent flyers.

At what age do Khaki Campbells start laying?

Khaki Campbell ducks generally start laying eggs at their 5-6 months of age.

How many eggs do Khaki Campbell ducks lay?

Generally, the Khaki Campbell ducks can lay around or up to 300 eggs per year.

How many eggs does a Khaki Campbell duck lay daily?

Khaki Campbell ducks generally lay only one egg per day.

Are Khaki Campbells loud?

No, they are not loud, they only make little noise.

Can Khaki Campbell ducks live with chickens?

Yes, sure! Actually, not only Khaki Campbells but also most other domestic ducks can live with chickens.

How do you tell Khaki Campbell male or female?

The male Khaki Campbells generally have darker brown heads, necks, backs, and tails. Females are uniformly light brown in color. Both the male and female have brown feet and a greenish-colored bill.

Why are my Khaki Campbells not laying eggs?

Khaki Campbells may stop laying eggs due to many reasons. If a duck is stressed, it will not lay as well. Stress can come from anything such as predators, loud noises, or a change in their environment such as a new feed, animal or person. Day length is a major factor in how a duck lays as the days start to get shorter in the fall.

What are the characteristics of Khaki Campbell ducks?

The Khaki Campbell duck is a light weight bird. They have a modestly long body, head, bill and neck. Khaki Campbell ducks have a sprightly body carriage of 20 to 40 degrees above horizontal. The drakes have a green bill, rich dark-orange legs and feet. They have dark brown eyes. The head, upper neck, lower back and tail culverts of the drakes are brown-bronze. And rest of the drake’s plumage is a warm khaki. The female Khaki Campbell has a green bill. They have dark brown eyes and their legs and feet are brown. Their head, upper neck and lower back are seal-brown in color. Rest of their body plumage is khaki in color. Average body weight of the Khaki Campbell duck is about 1.3 to 2.2 kg.

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