American Pekin

The American Pekin is the large white duck that most North American buyers picture when they hear Pekin duck or Long Island duck. It descends from Chinese Pekin ducks imported to the United States in the 1870s and was then shaped into a fast-growing meat breed. American Pekins have white plumage, orange bills and feet, a broad body, and a more horizontal stance than the upright German Pekin type. They are mallard-derived domestic ducks, not Muscovies, and commercial lines may look heavier and plainer than exhibition birds selected for carriage and finish.

Backyard flocks keep Pekins for meat, large eggs, and calm temperament, while commercial farms use specialized lines for feed conversion, growth rate, and processing traits. Their weight makes foot health and dry bedding more important than flight control, because most adults cannot fly. Ducklings grow quickly and need a ration with enough niacin, along with water deep enough to clear their nostrils. Pekins enjoy bathing but do not require a pond if tubs are cleaned often. Buyers should ask whether birds come from production, hatchery, or exhibition stock, since size, laying, fertility, and lifespan can differ noticeably.