Cayuga duck
The Cayuga is an American heavy duck with black plumage and a vivid beetle-green sheen. It was once the main table duck in the USA and is now kept mostly for ornament. It is on the RBST watchlist.
The Cayuga is a pure-bred duck breed in the PCGB Heavy class. Its origin is given as New York State, USA. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in heavy form. Recognised colours: Black (green sheen). Typical adult weights: drake about 3.6 kg and duck about 3.2 kg.
Expect roughly 80–160 eggs a year, with dark grey/black fading to white shells. It is mainly kept for the table and for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, domestic-waterfowl.co.uk, poultrykeeper.com, waterfowl.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Duck
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Heavy
- Origin
- New York State, USA
- Kept for
- Table, Exhibition or ornamental
History
Around 1840, John S. Clark took ducks of this type from Orange County to Cayuga County in New York State. The breed is named after the Cayuga people. It joined the first American Standard in 1874. Britain received it in the 1850s–70s (sources differ) and standardised it in 1901. A popular theory says it descends from the American Black Duck. Wikipedia and BWA point out that the drake's curled tail feather points to Mallard ancestry, and the theory is unproven.
Appearance
Black, with green iridescence produced by feather structure. It has dark brown eyes and a black bill and feet. Females tend to go white in patches with age, and the shiniest birds often whiten first. BWA gives drakes about 3.6 kg and ducks about 3.2 kg.
Recognised colours
Black (green sheen)
Size and weight
- Forms
- Heavy
- Drake
- 3.6 kg
- Duck
- 3.2 kg
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 80–160
- Egg colour
- Dark grey/black fading to white
- Notes
- Lays about 50–100 eggs a year. The first eggs of the season can be dark grey or black.
Temperament
- Keeping notes
- BWA describes the breed as full of character, and poultrykeeper sees it as an attractive garden duck.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Good to know
- Modern Cayugas lack the size and keel shown in early paintings.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
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