The Abacot Ranger duck is a utility breed which was mainly developed for eggs and meat production. It is classified as a light weight duck breed and also known as Hooded Ranger and Streicherente.
The breed was developed by Oscar Grey of Friday Wood near Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom. It was created by initially crossing a white Indian Runner drake with white sports from Khaki Campbell ducks in between 1917 and 1923. The name Abacot Ranger derived from Abbott’s Cottages, which was Mr. Gray’s home.
Initially the Abacot Ranger duck was a popular breed in the United Kingdom for meat and egg production, until about the 1920s. But soon went extinct there. Luckily the breed did very well in Germany. And had been standardized there as the Streicher-Ente (Ranger Duck) in 1934.
And it was then returned to the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s from Germany. Now the breed is being raised increasingly in the UK. Today the breed is also popular for exhibition.
The Abacot Ranger duck was accepted into the British Waterfowl Standard in 1983. Review characteristics, behavior and full breed profile of Abacot Ranger duck below.
Abacot Ranger Duck Characteristics
Abacot Ranger duck is a light weight dual purpose breed. It is similar in shape to the Khaki Campbell ducks. But they are larger in size as compared to the Khaki Campbells. They have a hood of fawn-buff feathers and the body is creamy white and streaked or marked with color.
The Abacot Ranger drakes have black head with a green luster. They have white ring around their neck and an olive green bill.
The ducks (females) have fawn head and their bill is a dark slate grey. On an average, Abacot Ranger drakes weight about 2.7-3.0 kg and ducks about 2.5 kg. Photo from Pinterest.
Uses
Abacot Ranger duck is a dual purpose breed. It is mainly raised for meat and egg production.
Special Notes
Abacot Ranger ducks are very hardy and peaceful. They are long-lived duck breed with more than ten years of lifespan. They are friendly in nature and can become quite tame.
They are excellent foragers and are not among the good fliers. They will be busy all day long if given access to roam freely. The breed is suitable for both meat and eggs production.
An Abacot Ranger duck can lay about 180-200 eggs a year. Their eggs are of white color and medium to large in size.
The ducklings can easily be distinguished by their bill colors, when they are of eight weeks of old. The bills of females will turn a dark slate color, and the bills of male will turn olive green.
The number of this duck breed is increasing day by day. The ducks (females) are noted for being excellent mothers and also a very good sitter. Review full breed profile of this duck breed below.
| Breed Name | Abacot Ranger | |
| Other Name | Hooded Ranger, Streicherente | |
| Breed Purpose | Dual Purpose (eggs & meat) | |
| Special Notes | Friendly, Great Foragers, Excellent Mothers | |
| Breed Class | Light Weight | |
| Broodiness | Frequent | |
| Drake | About 2.7-3.0 kg | |
| Duck | About 2.5 kg | |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates | |
| Egg Color | White | |
| Egg Size | Medium to Large (about 60-70 grams) | |
| Egg Productivity | High | |
| Flying Ability | Poor | |
| Rarity | Common | |
| Varieties | Drake and duck are different in color, but there are no other varieties. | |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
