The Eat Indies Duck is arguably one of the most beautiful, mysterious, and tricky. They have a black-green color that is iridescent in the right lighting. They are overall very easy-going which makes them perfect as a domesticated duck; some may even say they are shy.
Curious about the storied and strange history of this special and ornamental duck breed? Keep reading to learn all about the East Indies duck.
East Indies Duck Origins and Uses
The origin of the East Indies duck is a great source of mystery. Despite the name of this breed, it was not developed anywhere near Asia. Instead, it was bred in the United States sometime during the 19th century.
Origins
The exact date or year is unknown; sources are sure only of the fact that writings document the existence of the breed in the 1800s, first in America and later in Britain. As such, it was developed for ornamental purposes and use as pets, and therefore doesn’t have a history of its existence in the wild, as it’s always been domesticated.
However, it’s theorized that this breed was developed from either a northern Mallard sport or the American black duck, from which the East Indies duck could have gotten its striking looks, which we’ll discuss in more detail soon. Further, it’s one of the oldest traceable breeds of bantam duck.
So why the name East Indies? Many experts think that the name itself was a ploy to grow the popularity of the breed based on exoticism, which is as desirable now as it was in the 19th century. The showiness of these birds paired with a showy name probably contributed to the breed’s circulation.
Uses
The East Indies duck was developed as an ornamental breed because of its unusual and gorgeous appearance. Because of its size and looks, it’s mostly kept as a sort of pond showcase. As such, these ducks generally have an easy-going life and can also be used as show birds.
Matter of fact, the East Indie duck, was chosen as the most beautiful bird among all land and waterfowl species by a group of professional artists in 1943. However, they’re not just pretty faces. Their good foraging skills and small size make them ideal for managing pests like spiders and mosquitoes, even in a smaller area than most duck breeds would need.
As a small bird of the bantam variety, these ducks don’t make good layers and usually only produce one to two clutches a year. Likewise, because of their small size and low weight, they have never been used as meat birds.
Physical Characteristics of East Indies Ducks
These birds have very dark, black-green plumage that is shiny and iridescent. Their bills are also black. Very similar in coloring is the Cayuga duck, which they’re often mistaken for.
While the drakes are always the standard black with a vivid green iridescent sheen, the hens can come in a blue variety, which shows up as a bit of a speckled pearl effect in the foliage. Both the hens and drakes can sometimes develop white feathers with age, but it is considered a defect for the drakes.
Both the hens and drakes will have a darker foliage color on the head than the rest of the body. For the black variety, this will mean a deeper green color, and for the blue variety, it is a deeper, richer blue-gray.
One easy to easily tell the East Indies duck apart from the Cayuga is by size. The East Indies duck is small and compact if a little stout. They generally weigh from one to two pounds, with an average height of 10 cm and a wingspan of 12 cm.
Compared to the Cayuga, the East Indies duck is much smaller, with its counterpart weighing up to eight pounds. Still, some East Indies duck strains have been known to grow larger, sometimes even up to seven pounds at the most, for males.
East Indies ducks are also often compared to Call ducks, although not so much in appearance as in size. As Call ducks are also often used as show birds, there are some similarities, but East Indies ducks are known to have a quieter and more timid temperament.
Do East Indies Ducks Fly?
For such small birds, these ducks are terrific fliers. They can at times, even in captivity, migrate south for the winter. Likewise, if kept in a permitting enclosure or allowed to free-range, these ducks will take to the skies and may not return.
For this reason, many East Indies duck owners decide to keep their wings clipped, which also helps ensure the ducks’ safety.
East Indies Duck Lifespan
As a general rule, East Indies ducks often enjoy long lifespans. Like many other domestic ducks, their estimated lifespan is up to 10 years. While this is common for domestic ducks, many larger varieties live between five to seven years.
The larger the duck, the shorter lifespan it is likely to have. Since the East Indies duck is one of the smallest varieties, with proper care and protection, it is likely to have one of the longest lifespans of many duck breeds.
As with any duck, East Indies ducks need access to water in order to stay healthy. Dipping their heads into the water at least every three days or so helps ensure that their nostrils stay moist and their preening glands do not dry out, which prevents diseases. However, these ducks don’t have to have access to a pond as long as they have some alternative.
In general, though, East Indies ducks do not have any specialized health concerns. They should be dewormed and kept in a clean environment to ensure that they stay as healthy as possible.
East Indies Duck Diet
In terms of diet, East Indies ducks are a very easy domestic breed to have. Because they’re wonderful foragers, their natural diet is very easy to adhere to. Feeding should be done to supplement what they forage on their own.
When allowed access to a foraging area, these ducks prefer a diet of insects and worms, grasses, berries, tadpoles and slugs, and even some weeds. To supplement this, ducks should be fed six to seven ounces a day.
If your ducks will be relying firstly on foraging as their primary diet, it’s important to be alert and monitor them. As the East Indies duck is an adept forager, even in the winter, taking note of weight gain or loss will help you know if you are supplementing their diet correctly.
Standard chicken or duck feed is fine, and it’s also great to add in natural, healthy foods that are known to be good for ducks, such as sunflower seeds, cracked corn, frozen peas, cut grapes, or sliced lettuce.
For ducklings, it’s best to avoid regular feed and choose a non-medicated chick-starter feed supplemented with a bit of brewer’s yeast to increase the level of niacin, which is important for new ducklings.
East Indies Duck Breeding and Egg Production
It is important to make sure that your East Indies ducks only mate with other bantam breeds and preferably only other East Indies ducks because of their small size. These ducks don’t mate for life, and a healthy drake in his prime can mate with up to eight hens at a time.
While most duck breeds become mature and start laying at four to seven months old, smaller breeds start sooner. East Indies hens can begin laying as early as four months old. Her eggs will be medium-sized and dark gray, and sometimes even black.
However, they will become lighter as the laying season goes on. In the beginning, they can even have a dark pigment that is easily washed off, looking somewhat like soot. Towards wintertime, they can be a light green or blue.
The breed is not prolific at laying eggs and will not produce many in a year—around 40 to 100. However, the hens make wonderful mothers both when sitting in the nest and after the ducklings hatch.
Typical incubation is 28 days. East Indie hens, although they don’t lay many eggs, have been known to lay up until even eight and nine years old and are of average broodiness.
East Indie Duck Behavior
These ducks are very timid and easy-going. They are a very calm and laid-back breed, even to the point of shyness. Notably, they are also very quiet ducks and are not prone to as much noise as Call ducks.
Although they are not aggressive, drakes are still known to be protective, so it’s important to exercise caution in certain circumstances.
Keeping East Indie Ducks as Pets
It’s what they were bred for! Their temperament and needs make them ideal pets. They don’t need much space because of their small size and look out for themselves well with though foraging.
Because they’re easygoing and quiet and don’t necessarily have to have pond access, they make great pets to keep in smaller spaces or for people with neighbors who don’t appreciate loud animals.
Tips on East Indie Duck Care
These ducks are both beautiful and easy to care for—the whole package. Simply being attentive to their supplemental food needs, watching for any signs of disease, making sure your flock is dewormed, and clipping their wings if desired will make for a healthy and happy flock.
East Indie Ducks Cost
As a somewhat rare duck variety, these animals can cost up to $100 for juvenile birds. Because they are sought after and not as easy to come by, many reputable breeders may only have stock during certain times of the year.
Private sales from local owners could yield better results, although at varying prices. Ducklings may be less expensive for the purchase of multiple birds.
However, care supplies and food for these animals are much easier to find. As they can be fed and cared for with standard duck supplies (albeit small versions of the necessary products), these can be obtained at a variety of feed stores and even at most online retailers.
Noteworthy Facts about East Indies Duck
These beautiful ducks are eye-catching and mysterious. Although we may never know the true nature of their origins, their wonderful personalities, compact size, and great foraging ability make them the ideal duck for smaller areas or more naturalized settings.
Info Table
| Purpose | Showmanship; ornamental; pets |
| Country of origin | Thought to be America |
| Breed Class | Bantam |
| Weight – Drake | 26 oz. |
| Weight – Hen | 22 oz. |
| Eggs per year | 40–100; low yield |
| Egg size | Medium |
| Egg weight | ~55 g |
| Egg production age | As young as 4 months |
| Diet | Forages for food; supplement with pellet or other duck/chicken feed |
| Lifespan | Up to 10 years |
| Flying ability | Good |
| Personality | Friendly, calm, quiet |
| Distinguishing features | Striking black and iridescent green feathers |
| Varieties | Black for drakes; black and blue for hens |
| Cost (USD) | ~$100 |