Imagine a quaint English countryside setting with a pond and ducks strolling along the banks and into the waters. Chances are, of all the many types of duck breeds, you imagined one very similar to the Saxony duck.
This duck variety offers a beautiful presentation with visual interest paired with valuable farm or countryside setting functions. Namely, if you want a duck that pairs form with function, then the Saxony duck could be a great fit for you.
Today, we’re going to dive into everything you need to know about this pleasant and pretty duck variety.
Saxony Duck Origins and Uses
A breeder by the name of Albert Franz began developing this duck breed in 1930 Germany. Although it was officially introduced in 1934, the duck all but died out during the war. So Franz went back to the drawing board and emerged victorious with the current version of the Saxony duck breed, which was recognized officially in 1954.
It was introduced to the States in 1984 as a hardy duck breed. It’s crossed between the Rouen, the German Pekin, and Blue Pomeranian ducks. The result is a hardy, large-sized, all-purpose-style duck that was initially bred by Franz for meat.
Due to the degree of domestication, this breed is not suited to living in the wild. Historically, it has been used for meat, laying, and populating pond or farm areas. As a heavy breed, its meat is tender and palatable.
Because of its activity level, it has primarily dark meat with a high amount of flavor and not much fat. It can also produce more than 200 eggs per year, making it an ideal, multi-purpose farm duck breed.
Physical Characteristics of Saxony Duck
These ducks are considered to be in the heavy-weight class, getting up to nine pounds when fully grown. They are, in size, what many people would automatically picture when imagining typical lake or pond-faring ducks.
They are a well-formed and majestic-looking breed, with a compact but long body that is broad across the shoulders. Saxony ducks have smooth, rounded chests and slightly arched-forward necks that give them a regal-looking carriage. Both genders have the typical yellow-orange beaks and legs and feet.
The Saxony duck, although standard in size, is considered very beautiful for its unique coloring. It only comes in one variety. The drakes are a mottled mix of silver, rust, and beige colors on their bodies and blue-gray on their tails, with a white ring around their necks and a gray head.
Hens are a softer apricot color with light grey or beige wingtips and white eye lines. Both genders are beautiful; however, given that, in many duck breeds, the hen is dull in color compared to the drake, Saxony duck hens are just as beautiful and in some ways even as showy as the drakes.
Compared to many domesticated, large-sized duck breeds, Saxony ducks are unique in their coloring and feather patterns. Because of their beauty, they were originally sought after at duck shows. This is actually where they got their name: the Saxony Show of 1934 was where the breed was first introduced.
Do Saxony Ducks Fly?
Saxony ducks are not simply poor fliers; they do not fly at all. While this could have some implications for their safety in a mostly free-range setting, it can also be beneficial if a flock is closely monitored, as there will be no risk of migrating or flying away from their enclosure and not returning.
Saxony Duck Lifespan
Most normal-sized, domesticated ducks can live for up to 10 years. These ducks are hearty and healthy and can routinely live for around 9 to 12 years, making them one of the longest-living ducks for their size.
In captivity, since they have historically been used for meat, most ducks are slaughtered at an ideal weight of around nine pounds. They mature quickly but don’t physically grow as fast as other duck breeds.
However, this duck breed has become rare in modern times and is on The Livestock Conservancy’s critical list. Therefore, not many are typically being raised currently for meat.
In regards to health, these are generally very hearty and healthy birds that are easy to keep. Because of their size, they won’t need annual vaccinations or deworming. They’re also very resistant to many parasites that are also discouraged by the amount of time this breed spends in the water.
The Saxony duck is also an excellent forager, so it needs physical access to a natural and nutritious diet, which also helps to keep these ducks happy and healthy. More than other types of domesticated ducks, the Saxony duck adapts well to a wide variety of environments, making it an ideal breed for many areas and situations.
Saxony Duck Diet
As previously mentioned, these ducks love to forage and will find the majority of their healthy diet on their own if given access to enough space in which to do so. They find various grasses and weeds, berries, insects, and even protein sources in ponds and lakes.
To supplement this, ducks should be provided pellet feed. Varieties for chickens and ducks will suit them fine, although particular types for waterfowl will be nutritious as well.
An adult duck should eat four to six ounces of feed a day but can typically eat more during the winter months and less in the summer months when foraging is more plentiful, so monitoring your ducks to gauge their natural appetites is best.
Food should be laid out in a wide feed trough that is low and cannot be tipped over. Always provide fresh water near the feed and discard anything that has not been eaten at the end of the day.
Supplementing with fresh foods is also good for the health of Saxony ducks. Greens are an essential part of their diet, and even though they are good foragers, providing extra greens will ensure their health. Laying out deep greens in water will keep them from getting wilted, in which case the ducks will not eat them.
They also enjoy cracked corn, peas, cut cucumber and tomatoes, and various other fresh snacks. Like other types of ducks, they need access to grit to help them digest their food. While ducks will often find this naturally, it can be helpful to provide some with their supplemented food in the form of coarse sand or dirt.
For all ducks, niacin is an important nutritional component of their diets, and even more so for ducklings. Supplement their non-medicated chick-starter feed with brewer’s yeast to up their niacin intake. Adult ducks can also benefit from added niacin.
When hens reach laying age, it’s also helpful to lay out crushed oysters or eggshells with their feed. Hens will consume this type of material to help with the formation of strong eggshells when it comes time for them to lay.
Saxony Duck Breeding and Egg Production
Saxony ducks, like most other waterfowl except for geese and swans, do not mate for life. However, they are prolific egg layers and are very attentive to their nests.
Interestingly enough, the Saxony duck drake is the more easygoing of the two genders; while he is generally calm, the hen can be loud and can get easily worked up. The drakes don’t quack as with other duck breeds but make a rasping sound to communicate if needed.
Saxony duck hens can be broody and are one of the duck breeds most given to natural incubation. These hens will sit on their nests right up through hatching. These hens can lay up to 240 eggs a year—they will generally be creamy white-colored and large to extra-large sized, good for consumption and use.
Hens will begin to lay after reaching about 25 weeks of age and will lay about every two to three days in the laying season, around mid-March to early July. The typical clutch can be up to 15 eggs at a time.
Saxony Duck Behavior
These ducks make a great breed for first-time duck owners because of their fantastic temperament. Although the females can be loud when worked up, the drakes are surprisingly calm, and, in general, this breed is very docile, friendly, and easy to manage.
Their proclivity for foraging makes them a low-maintenance duck to keep as well. They are gentle and calm and also are great around children or for petting zoos.
Keeping Saxony Ducks as Pets
In the right environment, Saxony ducks make wonderful pets. Because of their large size, they do need a decent area to forage and roam, so they wouldn’t be best suited to small or urban areas. Since the females can be a little loud, they might not be the best for those who have close-by neighbors or who live in suburban areas.
However, these ducks are very low maintenance and have wonderful personalities for domestic purposes. Because they don’t fly, they’re also great to have as pets in a generous area that doesn’t have to be overly enclosed.
Because the Saxony duck is very rare, taking on several or a flock as pets would help to increase their numbers and take them off the critical livestock list. For this reason, many advocacy groups encourage those with enough space and resources to consider this breed.
Tips on Saxony Duck Care
As previously discussed, these ducks don’t require much care. As long as they’re provided supplementary feed, enough space to roam and forage, and enough attention to notice and prevent any off-handed chance of disease or injury, they will be happy and healthy.
Saxony Duck Cost
These ducks are very rare, with only around five Saxony duck breeders left in the country as of 2000. There could be as few as 500 individuals currently in the U.S., making this a seriously threatened breed.
However, many online resources exist for purchasing these animals, which are not as expensive as you might think. They can be purchased in bulk anywhere from $17 to $3, depending on the number of birds purchased and the gender.
Although they are rare, there has been a push to help repopulate the breed, making it easier to find animals for purchase for the purpose of building their numbers back up.
Noteworthy Facts about Saxony Ducks
As a threatened breed, the Saxony duck is a wonderful, even-tempered breed perfectly suited to outdoor roaming and farm life. They’re wonderful layers and can produce over 200 eggs a year, making them a great choice as a laying duck that is equally friendly as productive.
Info Table
| Purpose | Meat, eggs, pets |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Breed Class | Heavy |
| Weight – Drake | 3.6 kg |
| Weight – Hen | 3 kg |
| Eggs per year | Up to 240 |
| Egg size | Large |
| Egg weight | Up to 80 g |
| Egg production age | ~25 weeks |
| Diet | Foraged diet; chicken/duck feed; fresh foods |
| Lifespan | 9–12 years |
| Flying ability | Poor |
| Personality | Docile, friendly, calm |
| Distinguishing features | Good foragers; speckled color in drakes and apricot color in hens |
| Varieties | Only Saxony |
| Cost (USD) | ~$3–~$17 |