The Crested 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 ...

. It was probably brought to Europe from the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and aroun ...

by Dutch ships. It has its appearance because it is

heterozygous Zygosity (the noun, zygote, is from the Greek "yoked," from "yoke") () is the degree to which both copies of a chromosome or gene have the same genetic sequence. In other words, it is the degree of similarity of the alleles in an organism. Mo ...

for a genetic

mutation In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, m ...

causing a deformity of the skull.

History

The Crested probably originates in the

, with subsequent development in Holland. Crested ducks are seen in seventeenth-century paintings such as those of

Melchior d'Hondecoeter Melchior d'Hondecoeter (; 1636 – 3 April 1695), Dutch animalier painter, was born in Utrecht and died in Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects, usually exotic or game, in park-like landsc ...

and

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Life ...

. In the United States the breed was described by D.J. Browne in 1853. The white Crested was added to the

American Standard of Perfection The ''American Standard of Perfection'' is the official breed standard for the poultry fancy in North America. First published in 1874 by the American Poultry Association, the ''Standard of Perfection'' (commonly referred to as "the ''Standard'' ...

in 1874; the black variant was added in 1977. The Crested was recognised in the United Kingdom in 1910. A bantam version of the breed, the Crested Miniature, was bred by John Hall and Roy Sutcliffe in the United Kingdom in the late twentieth century; it was recognised in 1997.

Characteristics

Apart from the crest, the Crested is an ordinary-looking duck of medium size. It may be of any colour, although in the United States only black and white are recognised; in the UK, as in several other European countries, any colour is permitted. The crest varies widely in size, from unnoticeably small to a diameter of approximately . They have long, slightly arched necks, medium length body, much depth and fullness through the breast. Though Cresteds can be good layers and have strong roasting qualities, the main interest and demand for the breed is as pets and decorations. They are not a popular show breed due to challenges associated with the crest genes also causing a fat body within the skull. Depending on the fat body's size and relative position to the brain, it can impede a duck's ability to

ambulate Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...

. Many crested ducks experience a "tottering" walking pattern and, if knocked over, are unable to get up. Other issues caused by the fat body may include

seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with l ...

neurological Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...

problems, and even early death.

References

Duck breeds Animal breeds on the RBST Watchlist {{Duck-stub