Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

Home > Zoo > Animals > D > Duck, Rouen

Fast Facts:

The Rouen closely resembles its ancestor, the mallard duck, but it is larger and often brighter in color than the mallard.
Rouen ducks are not a flying variety of duck.
The Rouen was developed in France and was admitted to the American Standard in 1874.

Rouen Duck

Status	The Rouen is one of the more common non-commercial ducks in the United States.
Diet	Ducks have a varied diet. They eat insects, worms, frogs, snails, slugs, small shellfish, grasses and other plants.
Size	Males, or drakes, are larger than their female counterparts. An adult male averages about 8 pounds, and females will average approximately 7 pounds.
Location
Print Fact Sheet	Rouen Duck

Special Features

It is easy to see the resemblance that the Rouen duck has to its ancestor, the mallard. The male Rouen duck, or drake, has a green head, white collar, claret breast and a blue patch on the wing. The female is deep brown with small areas of greenish black. Unlike its domestic cousin, however, the Rouen is larger than the mallard, and its colors often are even more vibrant.

These ducks have a calm disposition and are excellent foragers. In the U.S., Rouens are raised primarily for the restaurant market.

Nesting
The laying rate varies for the Rouen duck, as they are not the most prolific setters. Some strains average 100 eggs per year, while others will lay more than 150.