The Pekin Duck

 

Pekins are the snowy white ducks with orange bills and feet of popular imagination. The most famous Pekin duck is, of course, Donald, followed by his entourage of Daisy, Uncle Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The Pekins became farmers’ favorites because they breed like bunnies (up to 150 eggs a year) and fatten up quickly. They are also not the brightest creatures, so they can be mindlessly herded, like sheep—a character trait favored by the agriculture industry.

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Companion Animals

As precocial birds, Pekin ducks make ideal companion animals for a variety of reasons. As a duck imprints on a human, the bond of trust that develops rivals that of humans and dogs, for example, and can provide enduring companionship if they are not surrounded by other ducks. Pekin ducks are very intelligent, and are capable of life-long strong and loyal bonds with humans, and often then prefer human company over the company of other ducks.

Ducks can be both outdoor and indoor companion animals, with numerous pet accessories available to help keep them comfortable and your home clean. They are successful "indoor" pets because they are adaptable to house life (be sure to provide them with toys and stimulation). When taken on supervised outings in nature, if properly imprinted, the duck will stay with the human "flock" member(s) and not wander away. If a predator or danger approaches, the duck will seek safety and remain with their human flock member rather than flee and become lost and separated away from the human flock member. They are excellent sentinels, like geese, and will warn the household or other animals in the yard of approaching strangers or danger.

Pekin duck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Comments

[Paul Creeden]

Six years ago, when I was living across from Jamaica Pond and recovering from cancer, I walked around the pond for rehabilitation and sanity, sometimes twice a day. That year, a Pekin duck flew into the pond. She was the only one of her kind, but she casually joined the local Mallards, who were not an easy gang to get along with. She had an unmistakable, Donald-Duckian quack, which I could hear before I even saw the water on my descent to the pond. She fearlessly faced off swans and wading dogs. Eventually, she bred with a Mallard and had nine ducklings, of which six survived. She was gone after two years, but her offspring lived on at the pond. I still strain to hear her quack in my memory every time I descend to that pond.

[Ryan Norbauer]

Thanks for sharing this, Paul. I have a fairly personal relationship with the ducks in the Public Garden myself; I spend a lot of time watching them, often wondering about their inner lives (such as they have any) and ultimate fates. Ducks make excellent companions for thoughtful solitary walks.

I'm also surprised to hear it was possible for a Pekin and a Mallard to mate. Nature is a wondrous thing.

[Connie Gardner]

I would like a Pekin duck, please Mr. Norbauer...and not on my dinner plate, thank you very much.