Crested duck (breed)
Crested duck in the harbor of Camden, Maine.
The domestic Crested Duck is a duck breed descended from the Mallard. It has its appearance because it is heterozygous for a genetic mutation causing a deformity of the skull. As a result, when a pair of crested ducks breed, the young sort out in the usual 1-2-1 ratio:-
- 25% are homozygous for the normal allele of this gene and so have no crest and if bred together their offspring will never have a crest.
- 50% are heterozygous for this gene and hatch with a crest of varying sizes.
- 25% are homozygous for the crested allele of this gene and die from exposed brain without hatching, as it is lethal in homozygous form.
If a crested duck and a non-crested duck breed together, the resulting ducklings would be expected to be 50% crested and 50% non-crested.
Approximate weight
| Drake | 3.2 kilograms (7.1 lb) |
| Duck | 2.7 kilograms (6.0 lb) |
Miniature Crested
| Drake | 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb) |
| Duck | 0.9 kilograms (2.0 lb) |
See also
- Crested Duck, the wild species Lophonetta specularioides
- List of duck breeds
External links
- http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Crest/BRKCrestedDucks.html
- Poultryhub.org Fancy Duck Breeds - Crested Duck