The Shetland duck is a breed of
domestic duck
The domestic duck or domestic mallard (''Anas platyrhynchos domesticus'') is a subspecies of mallard that has been domesticated by humans and raised for meat, eggs, and down feathers. A few are also kept for show, as pets, or for their ornament ...
originating in the
Shetland Islands["Shetland - Duck breed"](_blank)
Britannic Rare Breeds. Retrieved 2014-3-25. of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It is critically endangered.
History
The Shetland duck is thought to have evolved from the
Pomeranian or
Swedish Blue
The Swedish Blue ( sv, Svensk blå anka, italic=no) or Blue Swedish is a Swedish breed of domestic duck. It emerged during the nineteenth century in what was then Swedish Pomerania, located in present-day north-east Germany.
History
The Swedi ...
, due to its similar appearance. It is thought that the Vikings brought the Shetland to the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
Characteristics
The Shetland is a small, hardy breed; it is active and forages well. It is essentially a smaller version of the Swedish Blue, but with black plumage where the Swedish has blue; the black has glossy green and blue lights in it. The birds usually have a white bib, and may have some white on the head; they may become paler as they age, in some cases turning almost entirely white. The bill and legs are black in the duck: in the drake, the legs may carry some orange, and the bill may be tinged with yellow.
Use
The Shetland is a good layer; the eggs are of a good size and range in colour from white to grey.
See also
*
List of duck breeds
This is a list of the breeds of domestic duck which have official recognition at national or international level.
Most breeds of duck derive from the wild mallard, ''Anas platyrhyncos'', while a small minority are descendants of the Muscovy du ...
*
Shetland animal breeds
The Shetland Islands of Scotland have long had their own distinct animal breeds, due to the remoteness of the archipelago. Below is a list of Shetland's domesticated animals.
Shetland Pony
The Shetland Pony is a very small, robust breed of ...
References
{{British livestock, R.4
Duck breeds
Shetland animal breeds
Conservation Priority Breeds of the Livestock Conservancy