Crossbred

A crossbred duck is a domestic duck produced from two or more different breeds or strains rather than a recognized pure breed. Crosses may be planned, such as pairing a laying breed with a meat breed, or accidental when several breeds share a pond and nesting area. Because most domestic ducks in this group are mallard-derived Anas platyrhynchos domesticus, their offspring are usually fertile and may show mixed colors such as bibbed, blue, buff, chocolate, mottled black and white, or mallard-patterned plumage.

Crossbred ducks can be very useful in homestead flocks, but their adult size, egg production, growth rate, and temperament are not guaranteed from the label alone. Selection should be based on the actual birds and their parents where known. Keepers breeding them forward benefit from noting which drakes and hens produce strong legs, good fertility, steady laying, and calm behavior. They should not be sold as rare purebreds unless ancestry is documented. If a Muscovy is part of the cross, the offspring are a different kind of hybrid and are commonly sterile.

Colors: Apricot, Bibbed, Black, Black and White, Black and White Mottled, Blue, Blue and White, Buff, Chocolate, Cream White, Cumberland Blue, Dark, Dark Green and Brown, Emery, Fawn, Golden Buff, Gold Phase, Gray, Grey, Khaki, Lavender, Magpie, Mallard, Mallard Pattern, Metallic Black with Green Sheen, Pastel, Penciled, Pied, Pink Bill, Pure White, Runner Pattern, Silver, Silver Phase, Snowy, Splash, White