Like the Ancona ducks, Cayuga ducks are one of the 6 duck breeds originating in the US. It was first noted in the Finger Lake region of the US in 1840. There is a legend that the Cayuga ducks originated not from Mallards, as most other domestic duck breeds in the US, but rather from the American Black Duck (anas rubripes). However, there’s really no substantiation for those claims. In fact, the American Black Duck is not a true black like the Cayuga. Cayugas also share other characteristics with Mallards, such as the curly tail feathers that denotes drakes. American Black Ducks do not have the curly tail feather. Cayuga ducks are well-known for the iridescent sheen of their feathers. They shine green, blue, or even purple in the right light!
In 1840, John S. Clark obtained ducks that would eventually be known as the Cayuga ducks in Orange County, New York. He took the ducks up to Cayuga County, also in New York. The ducks were named for the Cayuga people, the indigenous people of Cayuga County.
They are recognized by the American Poultry Association, and are on the Livestock Conservancy’s “watch” list, along with Ancona ducks. Cayugas are a medium to heavy weight duck, weight around 7-8 pounds. From about the second half of the 1800s to 1890s, it was the most common duck raised for meat in the United States. In the 1890s, the American Pekin duck was developed. Because Pekin ducks are white instead of black, they were easier to clean after butchering.
Nowadays, Cayuga ducks are kept primarily for lawn ornaments and showing (which is why I raise them!) However, they also still make good meat ducks, and they average 100-150 large eggs a year. At the beginning of the laying season, their eggs are often very dark, almost black. They tend to lighten up to blue or green, or even almost white by the end of the season. Their feathers also make great fishing flies!
FOR SALE
We currently have no Cayuga ducks for sale. Due to the recent loss of our breeding hen, we will not be offering Cayuga hatching eggs for sale this year!
Permanent Flock Members
FW Scarborough Fair (Rome)
Date of Birth: Summer 2023
Rome and two Cayuga hen ducklings came to the Haven in summer of 2023. They were originally named after the “Scarborough Fair” herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. I found Rosemaryling (all our ducklings end in -ling until they grow up) a bit cumbersome to say! So I shortened it to Romeling. It ended up working out, as Romeling turned out to be a drake, and Rome was a fitting name for him!
Rome and Sage, our breeding pair at the start of this year, were a fairly bonded pair that stuck to themselves quite a bit. Without her, Rome hangs out closely with the Ancona ducks and the Mullards. He’s a good, polite drake, with beautiful iridescent green feathers. In the sunlight, some of his body feathers will even shine with a blueish hue!