Be part of the flock! 🦆

Join 500+ other duck owners for farm updates, practical duck tips, and trusted advice from Derek.

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Be part of the flock! 🦆

Join 500+ other duck owners for farm updates, practical duck tips, and trusted advice from Derek.

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Brown Ducks

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Our Brown Ducks

There are several breeds of brown ducks that are fairly well known, like the popular Mallard duck. Shirlock Acres offers two varieties of brown ducks, including the popular layer duck, the Khaki Campbell, and the beautiful multi-colored Silver Appleyard duck. Khaki Campbells are slim ducks with warm khaki-brown feathers and a streamlined appearance. Silver Appleyard ducks are large with bold patterns of chesnut, black, silver, and metallic blue/green on males.

Meat & Egg Production

Khaki Campbells are popular brown ducks best known for their egg-laying abilities. These beautiful ducks can lay up to 300 medium to large eggs a year. Their eggs are great for baking because of their higher yolk-to-white ratio than chicken eggs. Silver Appleyards are brown ducks that are multi-purpose, great for meat while still laying well.

Temperament

As a general rule, brown ducks are calm, busy foragers with flock-focused personalities. Their brown, camouflauged feathers are part of nature's "stay alive" protection, often matching their wary personality. Khaki Campbells are very work-focused, more likely to be orderly and on the move. Silver Appleyards are a bit more friendly, though they are calmer and not as high strung as some other breeds. They have a social personality in a flock, and are very likeable, curious ducks.

Brown Ducks FAQs

Yes. Many brown-colored breeds, like Khaki Campbells, are calm, hardy, and adapt well to small farms and backyards. Behavior depends more on breed and handling than color.

Yes, many people do keep ducks and chickens together. Just plan on slightly different setups: ducks need deeper water so they can dunk their heads and they’re much messier, so give them their own water area. As long as you provide plenty of space, clean bedding, and appropriate feed for each, they can share the same coop and run without trouble.

They don’t need a big pond, but they do need water deep enough to dunk their heads so they can rinse their eyes and clear their nostrils. A simple kiddie pool or deep tub works well, as long as you dump and refill it often enough to keep the water reasonably clean.

Many brown ducks and brown-colored crosses can be raised for meat, but you’ll often see more dark pinfeathers left on the carcass than you would with white birds like Pekins. That’s mostly a cosmetic issue. Actual meat quality has more to do with the breed, how it’s fed, and the age you process at than with feather color.

Why Choose Shirlock Acres?

NPIP logo

NPIP-Certified Hatchery

From the moment a duckling hatches at Shirlock Acres, its health is our top priority. Because we’re an NPIP-certified hatchery, every bird is carefully monitored and tested to ensure its illness-free. When your ducklings arrive, they’ll be bright-eyed, energetic, and ready to thrive in your flock.

muscovy duck eggs in nest

Nearly 20 Years of Experience

In 2007, a few ducks in the Shirk family’s backyard sparked a passion that soon grew beyond our fence line. Today, Shirlock Acres ships ducklings across the country, but our heart is still rooted in family care. Roger and Derek Shirk continue to raise every bird with the same honesty and attention they’ve always given their own. Curious how it all began? You’ll find the full story on our About Us page.

incubator with duck eggs

State-of-the-Art Hatchery

From the moment they hatch, our ducklings are raised in a safe, well-kept environment where every detail is watched over with care. That attention ensures the birds you receive are healthy, thriving, and eager to settle into their new home.

Our Delivery Process

At Shirlock Acres, we take duckling delivery seriously. Before shipping, we hand-check every brown duckling and only send the strongest, freshest birds. You’ll get a tracking number and a heads-up when your ducklings ship, plus you’ll need to pick them up from the post office as soon as they arrive. We tweak our shipping process for the weather, and if anything goes wrong within the first 24 hours, we’ll make it right.

  • Shipments go out Mondays (every Monday for Muscovy, every other Monday for Pekin & Silver Appleyard)
  • Ducklings are shipped 0-2 days old, hand-checked for health
  • Boxes include soft bedding, ventilation, dividers, GroGel, and heat packs in winter
  • Tracking number and pickup notification provided
  • Immediate care: preheat brooder (85-90°F), provide warm water with electrolytes, starter feed, and monitor activity
  • Live arrival guarantee: refund or replacement if ducklings don’t survive the first 24 hours (photo required)
Our Duck Delivery
khaki campbell ducks- female ducks

We offer shipping to all the lower 48 states, Alaska, and the US Virgin Islands using USPS Priority Mail.