The Campbell duck breed was developed in England during the late 1800s. Named for its creator Ms. Adele Campbell, this breed is the result of crossbreeding several other duck breeds. Ms. Campbell began with a Penciled Runner (British Fawn and White) and a Rouen to enlarge the size. Later, she added a Mallard to the mix to amplify the breed's durability and foraging instincts. Ms. Campbell was known to say she created the breed to appease the appetites of her husband and son for roast duckling.

The original Campbells created by Ms. Campbell had a Mallard-like colored appearance. During this time era, buff was the more appreciated color in poultry. To improve on the plumage color, she bred the Campbells again with Penciled Runner ducks. Although these new ducks were not buff, they did resemble in her mind the color of the British military uniforms of that time. Ms. Campbell called these new ducks "Khaki Campbells".

Perry Fish of Syracuse, New York later introduced the Campbell to the United States in 1929. The American Poultry Association (APA) recognized the Campbell duck breed in 1941. Other color varieties (white and dark khaki) have been developed but are not recognized by the APA at this time.

Ms. Campbell not only exceeded in enhancing the body size, the Campbell are an abundant egg layer. By the 1920s, the Campbell duck became recognized as the most copious layer of all duck breeds, producing over 300 medium sized eggs each year.

The Khaki Campbell duck has dark brown eyes with shanks and feet that are orange with shades of brown. The differences are within the genders. The head, neck, and rump of the drake are brown-bronze with a green-tone sheen. The head and neck of Campbell hens are medium to dark brown lacking any shades of green. Both drakes and hens have dark tan (khaki) plumage but can fade when exposed to sunlight. The wings have highlights of dark brown that will appear lighter in drakes.

The dark variety of the Campbell has dark brown eyes and the head, neck, and rump are green, also referred to as "beetle green". The wings are highlighted with white. The hens will have a greenish black bill and the head and neck are cocoa brown with ticking of light brown. White Campbells have blue eyes and the bill will vary from bright orange to pale pink.

This breed is highly active and a prolific forager. When allowed ample space and freedom, the Campbell will adapt well to its environment and remain productive. This bird can also adapt well to a range of weather conditions. The Campbell duck is on "watch" list of the conservation status with approximately 2,500 breeding Campbells being located within the United States.

References:

STOREY'S ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO POULTRY BREEDS, by Carol Ekarius, copyright 2007.

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wa terfowl/campbell.html

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