Campbell

Duck

Also called Khaki, Khaki Campbell

The Campbell is the laying machine of the duck world, built by Adele Campbell in Gloucestershire around 1901 by crossing an exceptional Runner with a Rouen and later Mallard blood. It comes in Khaki, Dark and White varieties, but Khaki — named for the army uniforms of the day — so dominates the trade that most sellers list the bird as "Khaki Campbell" and never mention the other two. A good strain will out-lay almost any chicken, and it does it on forage, in the wet, and through weather that would put a Leghorn off. That output comes packaged in a light, alert, faintly neurotic bird: Campbells are flighty, dislike being handled, and have had broodiness so thoroughly selected out that the eggs need an incubator. They are best suited to keepers who want eggs and slug control rather than a lap duck.

Beginner friendly

Cold hardy

Heat tolerant

Flighty

Egg colorWhite To Tinted

Egg production200–300 / year

TemperamentFlighty

BroodinessRare

ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant

PurposeEggs

FlightLimited

Weight

Duck4–4.5 lb

Drake4.5–5 lb

How to spot it

Bill: Drake's greenish-blue, duck's greenish-black
Carriage: About 30° above horizontal — an alert, slightly upright stance in a small, trim body
Plumage: Khaki variety: even warm khaki-brown, the drake with a bronze-brown head and neck and no white ring. Dark and White varieties are recognised but rarely offered
Legs & feet: Dark orange to brown
Look for: A plain, unmarked duck with no barring or bib, constantly moving and first to spot you