Khaki Campbells are known for their amazing egg-laying and hilarious personalities. Pekin ducks are larger ducks bred for their backyard companionship or meat production.
There are those that are lucky enough to raise one type of these ducks, and there are those that are lucky enough to raise BOTH.
Then, there are even those who create a whole new type of miracle: the Khaki Campbell x Pekin cross.
That’s right it’s absolutely possible to breed a Khaki Campbell with a Pekin duck successfully, creating beautiful hybrid Khaki Campbell Pekin ducks.
Here’s everything you ought to know!
Contents
A Short Breakdown Of Khaki Campbells And Pekin Ducks
The Khaki Campbell ducks are famous for their unparalleled egg-laying abilities. You can expect as many as 300 eggs a year from a healthy Khaki Campbell hen. They are a bit smaller in size, but are fantastic backyard companions!
As for Pekin ducks, they’re usually bred for their meat. They are larger birds that reach an average weight of 9lbs. The jumbo Pekin duck variety can even reach up to 13lbs.
However, if you compare Pekin ducks’ egg-laying ability to that of the Khaki Campbell, they don’t even come close. Pekin ducks tend to only lay around 160 eggs per year.
Due to the amazing qualities that make each duck breed so special, it’s no wonder that duck breeders are so eager to cross these breeds together to combine the large size and egg-laying capabilities.
Is It Possible To Cross A Khaki Campbell With A Pekin Duck?
If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
The exception: It’s entirely possible to cross a Khaki Campbell with a Pekin duck.
The Khaki Campbell Pekin cross is considered a hybrid breed. This means that although the duck is a perfect 50-50 mix of Khaki Campbell and Pekin, its offspring will not carry on the same qualities as the hybrid duck.
You can still enjoy raising perfectly happy, healthy, hybrids of Khaki Campbell and Pekin ducks, who still lay around 110 eggs per year, but further breeding won’t create more Khaki Campbell Pekin crosses.
The same can be said for hybrid chickens like Golden Comets, ISA Brown, or Cinnamon Queens too.
All About Khaki Campbell Pekin Cross Ducks
Whenever you’re raising hybrid breeds of poultry, you should always expect some kind of challenges.
In the case of Khaki Campbell Pekin ducks, it’s been established that crossing a female Pekin with a male Khaki Campbell yields the best results in terms of meat, weight, and development.
Although it’s possible to cross male Pekins with female Khaki Campbells, some breeders face challenges in hatching their offspring due to the Pekin’s poor broodingly ability.
Those ducks crossed with male Pekins and female Khaki Campbells tend to develop more or larger white spots on their plumage compared to the ducks crossed with female Pekins and male Khaki Campbells.
Still, whether the male parent was a Pekin or Khaki Campbell, they both grow to be of medium size and lay a consistent ~110 medium-sized duck eggs per year.
In either case, it’s a good idea to incubate the eggs yourself, as it tends to yield the best success in healthy hatching and development.
Khaki Campbell Pekin Cross Ducklings!
Khaki Campbell Pekin cross ducklings can be a good mix of white, brown, and black. They don’t conform to the same uniform as one another, and ducks in the same peep may look completely different.
Furthermore, the appearance of the Khaki Campbell Pekin ducklings will depend on whether the cross is made between a Khaki Campbell drake and Pekin hen, or a Khaki Campbell hen and Pekin drake.
Either way, Khaki Campbell Pekin cross ducklings will grow at a healthy, steady pace!
Other Khaki Campbell Pekin Hybrid Breeds
Although Khaki Campbell ducks are not commonly crossed with other species, the same cannot be said for Pekin ducks!
The Pekin ducks’ uniquely large size has always persuaded duck breeders to try crossing them over with other duck species.
Crossing over a Muscovy male and Pekin female is by far the most popular. This cross results in a new duck breed called Mules. The pair’s natural mating percentages are pretty low, so almost all the Mule ducks out there have been bred with assistance.
Still, some would argue it’s worth the effort!
Mules are heavily desired among those who love raising ducks, not only for their large size and low-fat percentage but also for their amazing temperaments and calmness.
To Conclude
Khaki Campbell Pekin cross ducks are highly attractive to duck breeders. Look at these things, their beautifully unique white patches make them absolutely stunning creatures.
Sure, they don’t produce as many eggs as pure Khaki Campbell ducks, but their larger size, beautifully unique patchy appearance, and incredible personalities certainly make up for it!
Nonetheless, being a hybrid breed, some challenges should be expected. It’s highly recommended to hatch them in an incubator as it finds a greater success rate with healthy development.
Happy backyard farming everyone!