In my backyard, I raise a flock of ducks that lay delicious eggs in imitation white. But I have seen green duck eggs at one of the breeders, and I liked it very much, and I wanted to add some colors to my egg basket. Here I am looking for breeds of ducks that lay green eggs that I can add to my flock.
Backyard ducks are an incredibly cute component that adds liveliness and comedy to your flock due to their funny oblique gait and demeanor.
In addition, they produce large, delicious eggs that can be used and enjoyed, like chicken eggs, but their size exceeds the size of chicken eggs, as duck eggs are 30% larger. Duck eggs also weigh more which is around 3 to 3 ounces!
Ducks lay eggs colored in beautiful colors, including green, cream, blue, and shades in between, in addition to the usual white color.
The color of duck eggs varies greatly, even in one breed, where two ducks of the same breed may lay eggs of different colors, unlike what happens in chicks, which lay only one color of eggs in each breed, except for the Easter breed.
In this article, we’re providing information about duck species that lay green eggs. We will dive into more details about 4 of them regarding their appearance, egg production and personality. Keep reading..
What Ducks Lay Green Eggs?
There are 6 duck breeds that are popular for laying green eggs:
- Indian Runners
- Mallards
- Magpies
- Anconas
- Call Duck
- Muscovy
Let’s take an overview of each of these duck breeds.
1. Indian Runners
Indian Runners are one of the best breeds of ducks, especially for beginners. They come in many kinds of colors, and they have a high production of eggs each year.
Appearance
The most notable feature of the Indian Runners’ appearance is that it stands upright like a penguin. They have a long and straight back and their heads are raised in the air. They are called bowling ducks because of their unique appearance.
Indian runners are descendants of light ducks. Hens weigh between 3 and 4.5 pounds, but males are slightly heavier, with male ducks weighing 3.5 to 5 pounds. The coloration of most Indian runners is often a shade of brown but multiple other colors have been documented.
Indian runner colors include white, black, blue, gray, orange, chocolate, and green.
Egg Production
Indian Runners lay pastel green eggs and have higher egg-laying abilities than most ducks. Where the duck lays 5 to 6 per week, at a rate of 300 to 350 eggs per year.
But they are not good mothers so if you want to raise Ducklings you will need to collect the eggs and incubate them yourself and take care of the ducklings after hatching to keep them alive.
Personality
Indian runners are very docile and friendly birds that have a shy nature which makes them easy to scare. But they are sociable and quick learners they can be trained to be brave and less fearful over time.
Indian Runners love to socialize with humans, so if you want to have a more practical relationship with them, you need to interact with them more often and spend a lot of time with them. Generally, they are a quiet breed and they are not noisy ducks.
Indian runners are very resourceful as they are independent foragers and they like to spend their time roaming and looking for snacks throughout the day. They love caterpillars and worms, so they are a great natural pest control.
2. Mallards
The mallard or wild duck, whose scientific name is Anas platyrhynchos, is a dabbing duck found throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, North Africa, and Eurasia, and has been introduced to many countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay.[1]
Appearance
The most distinctive thing about their appearance is the male’s head which has a dark iridescent green color with a bright yellow beak. The body is gray with a brown breast and black hindquarters.
Females and juveniles come with mottled brown color with orange and brown bills. Both sexes of this subspecies have a blue “spectacle” patch with a white border on their wing.
Its weight is medium to large and they are often a bit heavier than most dabbing ducks weighing around 1.5-3.5 lbs (0.7-1.6 kg).
Egg production
They begin to lay eggs from 25 to 30 weeks of age.
Mallards lay white, green, or white eggs. They lay continuously throughout the year but do not have a high productivity of eggs, as they lay about 140 eggs yearly.
Their eggs are small but they make great mothers as they will start trying to hatch their eggs from their first laying.
Personality
Mallards are dabbling ducks, so they have a wild nature, but they are often calm and friendly birds that can be tamed, but they tend to keep some of their wild nature, so they may show unexpected behaviors at times. Therefore, children should not be left with them unsupervised.
It usually feeds in water by flipping forward and searching for underwater plants. But they can be tamed, especially in city ponds, and they often congregate with mallards and other ducks.
3. Anconas
Ancona is very popular because it is a dual-purpose duck. Its beautiful feathers, with each bird having its unique pattern, give it a unique position among other duck breeds.
Ancona ducks are classified as medium-class ducks, but they are fairly small for their class. Males average around 6 to 6.5 lbs. While the average weight of females ranges from 5 to 5.5 lbs.
They are heavy due to their shortness and full body. They have a robust build similar to their cousin, the magpie duck. Its plumage is its most prominent feature, as it comes in a distinctive mottled pattern that varies from duck to duck.
Many people liken their coloration to the coloration pattern of a Holstein cow. Black and white are the most common, but there are many other color patterns. The one thing the different styles have in common is that almost all Anconas have solid white necks.
Personality
Anconas are popular pets due to their friendly nature and calm demeanor. They are not aggressive towards humans or tend to act hierarchically like other duck breeds. Anconas are also compatible with species of ducks, cattle, and other birds.
When they are in a large flock, you will find them peaceful, as they do not often establish a strict hierarchy like other ducks, and they will not display competitive or aggressive behavior.
Anconas are known for their hardiness, as they can easily adapt to any environment, even in cold weather, as their thick feathers protect them during cold winter nights and frosts. She is adept at reducing her body heat in hot weather by taking a shower.
Egg Production
Ancona chickens usually start laying eggs at the age of five months and continue to produce until the age of 5 to 8 years.
One of the most prolific layers among the breeds of domesticated ducks, where the duck lays four to five eggs per week, at a rate of 210 and 280 eggs per year.
Their eggs are large and increase in size with the age of the hen, bringing the weight of the egg to about 70 grams for eggs at the peak of the age of the eggs. The egg colors are different even in each hen. Most eggs range in color from white or cream to pale green.
4. Magpie Ducks
Magpie ducks are one of the rare and beautiful breeds of dual purpose and lay eggs in multiple colors, including green and blue.
Appearance
Exactly as its name suggests, the Magpie Duck looks exactly like the European Magpie. Where the two birds share the same black and white color. However, magpie ducks are much larger than magpies.
Their bodies are long and their faces are broad, similar to Indian ducks. Which helps them to install themselves similarly. Their feathers range from a yellow to orange spectrum all over the body except for the legs and feet, which are orange.
Among the distinctive things about their appearance is the colorful hat on their heads. The cap is the only non-white part of the body of a magpie duck, and this color extends from the shoulder to the tail.
It has curly tail feathers, unlike the tail feathers of chickens, which are straight. Magpies are light birds, but they are heavier than chickens. Where it weighs from 5 to 6 pounds.
Egg Production
Magpie ducks are loved and popular for their eggs, which come in a variety of colors including white, beautiful green, and blue. The color of the eggs you get varies from one duck to another. The color of the eggs your duck lays depends on the color of the eggs laid by their mother.
They are excellent egg layers, laying about 4-6 large eggs each week, at a rate of 200-300 eggs per year. They start laying eggs at 25 to 30 weeks of age. Not good nurseries but they make good mothers when given the chance.
Personality
Magpies are a gentle breed, very social, and not aggressive at all. They do well with members of their breed and are happy in each other’s company. They will often feed together and turn around together, so if you’re buying a Magpie Duck get at least two so you find Won’s company and don’t feel isolated.
They also get along with any other poultry they work great with chickens. Magpie Duck is a wonderfully curious breed that is a good choice for beginners as they are obedient and gentle with human children. Curious researchers forage for their food. You can keep them around your garden safely because they rarely fly.
FAQS
Why Did My Duck Lay A Green Egg?
Eggs come in green color as a result of certain pigments in the eggshell due to genetic factors and have nothing to do with the environment or the type of nutrition.
Biliverdin is responsible for the green color of eggs. Biliverdin is a green pigment that is a by-product of the breakdown of bile and hemoglobin.
If biliverdin is present in the eggshell, it penetrates the entire shell and causes the eggs to be colored green.
Are Mallard Duck Eggs Green?
Yes, mallard ducks lay green eggs as it lays multiple patterns of colors ranging from creamy white to pale blue to green and bluish green.
Are Some Duck Eggs Green?
Yes, many ducks lay a green, such as:
1- Indian Runners
2- Mallards
3- Magpies
4- Anconas
5- Call Duck
6- Muscovy
