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 ornamenta ...
originating in the
Shetland Islands
Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.
The islands lie about to the no ...
["Shetland - Duck breed"](_blank)
Britannic Rare Breeds. Retrieved 2014-3-25. of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
. It is critically endangered.
History
The Shetland duck is thought to have evolved from the
Pomeranian or
Swedish Blue, 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 duck ...
*
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