By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
Campbell – Endangered – 191 Breeding Aged Adults Reported in 2021
The Campbell Duck is a light laying breed with an excellent reputation for numbers and quality of eggs.
Mrs Campbell, the originator of the breed, wished to produce a useful, actively foraging, moderate-sized, good looking duck, capable of producing a large number of good sized pearly white eggs.
The Khaki Campbell duck was introduced by Mr Campbell, in the year 1901 as a purely utility egg duck. The goal was was to introduce a laying duck that would turn out many really good pure white eggs per year. It was to be a bird which would be hardy and capable of laying a large number of eggs during the worst month of the year, as well as in the glut season. The Khaki Campbell is now known the world over, and is held in high esteem by all who keep them.
Campbells have become a regular at poultry shows and are also good sitters and mother ducks.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
The main characteristic of the Khaki Campbell Duck is its wonderful power of egg production. Other characteristics are: The pearly white colour of the eggs, its extreme hardiness, the delicate flavour and quality of the meat and the serviceable and useful colour of the plumage which does not easily show discoloration through mud and rain.
The Campbell is a bird of medium size, with a nice cobby body – the carriage of the body is just normal; they are of a quiet temperament, and when handled and managed are not wild.
In type the Campbell is distinctive. Taking the general outline in both sexes, the head is carried high, with shoulders higher than saddle, and with the back showing a gentle slant from shoulders to saddle. The neck is of medium length and almost erect, yet gracefully moulded. The chest is well rounded and prominent and, with the underline from chest and stern being somewhat rounded, the whole body appears compact or slightly compressed, while retaining depth throughout, especially from shoulders to chest and from middle of back through to thighs. The legs are not too far back, so that good abdominal capacity is noted in the rear without excessive sagginess in the ducks.
While aiming at good body size emphasis must be placed upon quality or refinement in general. By this is meant neat bone, sleeky, silky feathers, smooth textured face, refined head points etc with absence of coarseness, sluggishness etc.
CARRIAGE: Alert, slightly upright and symmetrical; head and shoulders carried proudly; legs medium in length and well apart to allow of good abdominal development, not too far back.
HEAD: Bill proportionate, medium in length, depth and width, well set in a straight line with top of skull. Head refined in jaw and skull.
EYES: Full, bold and bright, showing alertness and expression, high up in skull and prominent.
BODY: Deep, wide and compact. Front broad and well rounded. Back wide, flat and medium in length, gently sloping with shoulders higher than saddle. Abdomen well developed at rear of legs but not sagging. Underline of Breast and stern well rounded to permit depth through body at shoulders and from back to thighs.
WINGS: Carried close and rather high.
TAIL: Short and small, rising slightly with usual curled feathers in drake’s tail.
PLUMAGE: Tight and silky.
For colour detail see Open Poultry Standards Australia here: www.openpoultrystandards.com/Campbell
