About Campbell

Duck Breeds

Photo Source: Wikipedia.org

The Campbell is a British breed of domestic duck that is known for its high egg production. They come in a variety of colors, including black, chocolate, khaki, and blue.

They were developed by crossing between Mallard, Rouen and Runner ducks. The Khaki Campbell drake is mostly khaki-colored with a darker head, usually olive green, lacking the white ring of its Mallard ancestors. The Khaki Campbell duck has a more modest plumage of Khaki covering the entirety of the body.

Adele Campbell began her poultry-keeping journey in 1887 and later acquired an Indian Runner duck of undefined breed which laid an exceptional amount of eggs (182 in 196 days). With this duck as the foundation, she developed the Campbell Ducks by cross-breeding them with Rouen and Wild ducks. The resulting birds were productive layers and were introduced to the public in 1898. To create a more appealing duck with a buff color, Adele further cross-bred the birds and introduced the new breed in January 1901, which she named "Khaki Campbell Duck" due to its similarity to British army uniforms.

The Khaki Campbell Duck Club was established in 1923 when, Dr. Arthur Campbell, Adele's husband, was elected its president. The following year, the Khaki Campbell was accepted into the Standards of the Poultry Club of the UK. In 1941, the breed was introduced to the American Standard of Perfection.

This breed is currently listed as Watch by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.