Duclair duck

The Duclair duck is a type of Rouen duck named after the town of Duclair in Normandy and traditionally raised in the region for both eggs and meat. Official standards were established for the breed on November 23, 1923.

Appearance

The Duclair duck is a type of Rouen duck and is also described as resembling the Swedish Blue. Males weigh up to 6.6 pounds (3.0 kg) and females up to 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). There are two color varieties, black and a less common blue. Both have a single white feather on each wing and a white bib.[1][2] Official standards were established for the breed on November 23, 1923.[1] Males are lighter and have an emerald green head and neck and blue-green wings.[3] Eggs have a blue-green shell and an average weight of about 2.5 ounces (70 g).[1][2]

Uses

Duclair ducks were traditionally raised for both eggs and meat,[1][3] and are particularly suitable for roast duck.[1] The meat has a "gamy" taste compared to other breeds of duck.[4] Pressed duck originated in Duclair using Duclair ducks; some of the qualities of the meat are the result of the local tradition of slaughtering the ducks by suffocation rather than decapitation, so that the blood is not drained.[5]

History

The breed arose from interbreeding between domestic ducks and migratory wild ducks. Beginning in the 18th century the ducks were raised in large numbers at the household level within the meander of the Seine between Duclair and Anneville-Ambourville, sold at the weekly market in Duclair, and marketed in Paris and Rouen.[5] Official standards were established for the breed on November 23, 1923.[1]

Previously a symbol of the town of Duclair, local farming of the ducks dwindled during the 20th century, by 1991 to one farm that ceased raising them in 2006.[5] As of 2005, the Duclair was no longer marketed commercially in France;[4] the last commercial producer closed in 2014.[6]

An Association pour la promotion du canard de Duclair was created in Duclair in 1991.[5] The Club pour la Sauvegarde des Races avicoles Normandes has also sought to preserve and restart production of the breed. Since 2014, the Parc naturel régional des Boucles de la Seine normande has sponsored a program to reintroduce and promote the ducks, including creation of farming operations within the park.[6][7][8] A farmer in New York State attempted to recreate the breed in the early 2000s by crossing a wild mallard with a French Pekin.[9]

References
  1. "Duclair Ducks". Cook's Info. June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. "Duclair Ducks". FeatherSite. 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. "The Duclair Ducks". The Spectator. November 1, 1879. pp. 1376–77. Excerpted in The New York Times, November 23, 1879.
  4. Gugino, Sam (December 31, 2005). "Heritage of Taste: Old breeds of chickens, ducks and turkeys are bringing back flavor". Wine Spectator. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2015 – via Heritage Foods USA.
  5. Schneider, Jean-Baptiste; Vallier, Eric (2013). "Le Canard de Duclair: d'une production locale à un rayonnement mondial. Dossier documentaire" (PDF). Cours de restaurant.fr (in French).
  6. Mayaud, Jennifer (July 1, 2020). "Réintroduction du canard Duclair et développement d'une filière dans le PNR des boucles de la Seine normande". Resolis (in French).
  7. Barray, Sylvie (November 25, 2014). "Le canard de Duclair, une espèce patrimoniale à préserver" (PDF) (press release) (in French). Parc naturel régional des Boucles de la Seine normande.
  8. "Le canard de Duclair". CIVAM (in French). Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  9. Hesser, Amanda (October 15, 2003). "Duck Honors Its French Kin". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015.
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