Ducks have been in the interest of many people around the world recently. Although ducks have been domesticated for way too long now, the practice has gained momentum lately.
Most ducks prefer living in ponds and wetlands, making them hardy enough to endure unusually hot climates. Also, almost all duck breeds can bear cold as efficiently as they can tolerate heat.
Say, you live in a scorching climate, and you’d like to raise ducks in poultry or homesteader, then there are only certain breeds that can survive such weather conditions. Although all breeds are fairly heat-resistant, some have a better tolerance than others.
7 Heat Hardy Duck Breeds
In this article, we shall discuss heat hardy ducks. These are the ones that can be domesticated in extremely hot weather, just with a little extra care and affection.
By the end of this article, we hope you will decide which breed of heat hardy duck you want to raise depending on your requirement.
1. Muscovy
Muscovy is a bird that loves to stay in their comfort zone. Being quite shy, it takes some time for them to get along with new people.
Being energetic foragers, ducks keep themselves engaged in some foraging all the time. You no longer need to worry about worms and insects spoiling your plantations. These little creatures are going to slay them all.
Weighing 7 to 8 pounds, a fun fact about Muscovy is that they can eat mice. Being hot and hardy, they do well in summers and require extra warmth and care in winters.
Muscovy ducks, unlike other ducks, fly very well and thus require extra care. However, Muscovy females are pretty good mothers. That means they are quite hot-tempered when someone tries to tease their baby.
Yet, their eggs and meats are much tastier as compared to other ducks, serving the dual-purpose.
Muscovy comes under the two domestically originated ducks of America. Muscovy ducks are one of the ugliest ducks present all over the world. They have a red face and can become aggressive when they have nothing to do.
Pros:
- Being heat hardy, they can tolerate the scorching heat without any difficulty.
- Muscovy has a calm temperament, and they try to stay in their comfort zone most of the time.
- They are perfect pest controllers and even slays some reptiles as well.
Cons:
- They can fly, and thus caging them becomes the utmost requirement.
2. Bantam Australian spotted ducks
Native to America, Bantam Australian spotted ducks are a small little creature. People use them for dual-purposes, ornamental and exhibition purposes. Along with this, they also serve as an ideal pet that attracts everyone with their eye-catching, beautiful colors, and foraging.
They are very calm and friendly birds that keep chasing here and there eating insects and pests. They will keep your garden and garden and pool pest-free.
They have a variety of colorful wings with white skin color that makes them very attractive and cute.
Weighing only 2-3 pounds, they are small ducks, famous for their colorful eggs.
They are quite abruptly fertile, laying only 50 to 150 eggs per year. But their nutritious eggs always stay in demand.
With an average life span of 8-9 years, heat hardy ducks and keep flapping their wings in water to tolerate extreme heat.
Fun fact about Bantam Australian spotted ducks is they spend most of their time on land instead of the pool. They are the most common species available in Australia.
Pros:
- They are exceptionally social ducks and quickly get along with other flocks and humans.
- Their meat and eggs always stay in demand.
- Being quite friendly, they are an excellent option to kick start poultry.
Cons:
- They can’t hold extreme cold and need extra care in the mild cold season.
Also Read: 13 Domestic Duck Breeds That You Can Raise on A Homestead
3. Hottentot Teal
.jpg){kind=link}
With a buff-colored cheek and blackhead, Hottentot teals are small might ducks. These are omnivorous birds that rely on plants, insects, and reptiles for their feed.
They begin to heat hardy ducks, prefer to live in wetlands and pools to keep them cool in the scorching heat.
Hottentot teals are one of the smallest duck species known in the world. Although female Hottentot Teals are not vocal, the male usually produces whistle-like sound.
They usually make their bill in the pool and love to swim. Although they are small in size, their life span is 20 to 30 years, more than the average lifespan of ducks.
These are not socially active birds, yet, they love to stay in their comfort zone and keep themselves engaged. Alternatively, it is also known as Khoisan teal.
Pros:
- These are small ducks with a much greater average life span.
- They usually feed on aqueous insects and pupils by dipping their heads in the water.
- Their blur beak and spotted wings make them very attractive, and their energetic hustling entertains other people.
Cons:
- Male Hottentot teal can be quite noisy, producing an intense whistling sound over and over.
4. Indian Runner Ducks
Also known as bowling pin duck, Indian runner ducks are one of the tallest duck presents worldwide because of their appearance.
They are wild ducks, with pink skin and white and grey feathers. They are energetic and socially active birds that get along with other flocks and strangers quickly. Being a great forager, they will entertain you a lot, running here and chasing insects and worms.
These birds usually stay hungry and thus require a lot of food. If you have a cool garden with different kinds of plants, keep Indian Runner Ducks away from it as they might destroy your garden within a few minutes.
Although they are tolerable ducks and can live in both hot and cold environments, we have put them in the heat hardy duck category because of their thin fat and feather layer with which they suffer problems in cold weather.
Lacking flying capabilities, Indian runner ducks have a very running speed that is the sole reason behind their name. Also, they lack broodiness and don’t like to hatch their eggs on their own.
Pros:
- These ducks will be the perfect pest controller of your garden.
- Notably tall, these ducks weigh significantly less comparatively.
- These are friendly ducks with cold temperament.
Cons:
- They require food on a large basis and thus keep chasing insects all day.
Also Read: 9 Best Meat Ducks (Breed Guide)
5. Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the royal symbol of Buckinghamshire England; various pubs, restaurants are named after Aylesbury. A football ground there is named after this duck.
And this is all because of the delicate meat that this duck has. Its meat is the all-time favorite and in-demand food of many.
Being very quiet and friendly, this duck is perfect for raising your homesteader. They also quickly get along with other flocks. Whether you are raising them for dual purposes or as a pet, it will keep you entertained and full of joy.
With a calm pond or wetland around them, these ducks can easily tolerate scorching heat.
With good fertility and deep fat layers, these ducks produce premium quality eggs and meat. Their snowy white feathers and pink beak make them resemblance similar to that of Pekins.
Aylesbury being very chubby and cute ducks, they fall under the category of critically endangered and are hard to find nowadays. People usually misinterpret Pekins or other white birds with Aylesbury. But, one can determine Aylesbury with their pink beak.
Pros:
- Being friendly with other flocks, you can easily keep them in poultry with other ducks.
- They don’t mind hatching hens’ eggs even.
- Pretty and attractive white feather making it perfect pet material.
Cons:
- These are quite messy ducks and loves to live in the dirty surrounding
6. Call ducks
Call ducks are one of the cutest ducks you can raise in your poultry, their silly habits will entertain you, and their pretty attractive colors will increase your poultry show.
Call ducks always prefer to stay warm, which is why calling them heat hardy ducks. Although they have a calm temperament, female call ducks are pretty noisy as they love chit-chatting all the time.
Initially, these ducks were called decoy ducks, but later, became call ducks and are known as hardworking and calm ducks.
They are bantam breed ducks, available in a variable range of colors starting from blue to green and ending at white.
They have a brief life span of 4 to 8 years. Also, they are not very fertile, only producing 50 to 100 eggs a year. And that’s why people don’t prefer them for commercial purposes. Although, with their charm, they are the perfect pet material.
There another name being waterfowl, and people are domesticating call ducks from the past 500 years.
Pros:
- Small cute birds you can raise them for exhibition and ornamental purposes.
- These are available in pretty different colors, making them even more attractive.
- They are energetic and hardworking ducks with a calm temperament.
Cons:
- Neighbors may find female call ducks a little loud. and irritating because of their continuous chit-chat
- Not very fertile.
Also Read: 11 Best Egg Laying Ducks (Breed Guide)
7. White-Crested Ducks
A cute duck with a very calm temperament is the perfect one that people prefer to raise in their poultry. And crested duck is one of them.
White-crested duck has a snowy white feather, with a dense and pretty white crown and orange beak. It is a small and quite lovely duck that one can either raise or dual-purpose because of its high-quality eggs and meat or as a pet.
This duck is also ideal for ornamental and shows purposes. If you are thinking of starting new into poultry, this duck will give you the kick start you want.
It can endure all the weather conditions easily, especially hot summers. It weighs around 8 pounds, but has lower fertility and can lay only 100 to 150 eggs per year.
But its eggs and meat have great demand in the market.
Crested ducks have a unique characteristic that they always keep their body in such a way that their beak tends to stay straight, making a perfect 90-degree angle with its neck.
Pros:
- They are quite shy ducks and prefer to stay in their comfort zone.
- Their puffy crown adds cuteness to their appearance.
- They possess flying capability.
Cons:
- Female white-crested ducks are non-broody. Thus, they depend on other flock or people to raise their babies.
Final Thoughts
All of us know that baby ducks are called ducklings. An interesting fact about ducks is that they are waterproof. Yeah! You are reading it right. Ducks have a waxy coating at their feathers, making them waterproof.
Thus, heat hardy ducks will get relief from hot summers when they dive in the pool, but they will not get themselves damp. With only the minimum maintenance, ducks have become the favorite poultry animal of many.