Ducks
The trader said they were the same as chickens, just more acclimated to the water. Personally, I think he was just prejudiced against aquatics. Trying to foul our water supply. Although I will say, they're certainly tastier. I don't travel without them!
Ducks are native to the interdicted world of Earth. Similar to Chickens, these omnivorous, air breathing egg-layers are most at home in semi-aquatic environments. Ducks have been adapted to life on spacecraft, however they must be contained carefully as they are much messier than chickens. They require a source of water which has led some aquatic species into some terribly unpleasant voyages as they discover what a mess these beasts will make of any water source they are given access to.
Ducks are friendlier and more social than chickens, making them better pets. And of course the babies are ridiculously cute.
The presence of ducks on some space stations has been attributed to the Marelian love of cuisine, although some point to the popular bar game of getting ones' ducks in a row, where each player is randomly assigned a group of ducks to try and convince to stand in a line. It is believed that this game is the origin of the term "odd duck" because unless you are very lucky in your drawing of ducks, you'll likely get one that simply will not get into line with the others.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Ducks are flying waterfowl with two wings. Their two legs end in webbed feet making them excellent swimmers. They have long necks and a wide, flat bill.
Genetics and Reproduction
Ducks lay one egg a day, but do so more reliably than chickens. Depending on the species, duck eggs can be larger than chicken eggs and much higher in protein content. The average egg weighs 3.5 ounces.
Male ducks are referred to as drakes, while females are called hens. Unlike chickens, you'll want to allow the ducks to form serial monogamous pairs, meaning you'll need about as many males as females if you wish to have fertilized eggs and grow your flock. However, most spaceship owners find that one male is more than enough as the thought of having more of these creatures to clean up after is terrifying.
Duck eggs are incubated for about 30 days at which point they hatch into ducklings. Parents are fiercely protective of their children with family units staying together around a year before moving off to form new family units.
Growth Rate & Stages
Ducklings are not waterproof at birth. Mostly just unbearably cute, they are dependent on their parents until they are about 5 weeks old.
Oil secreted by the duck makes them waterproof and boyant. While a mother duck can transfer some of her oil to her ducklings, you'll want a dry space for them to live until they reach the waterproof stage.
Ducks mature at 8-12 weeks and can begin to reproduce.
Ecology and Habitats
Mature ducks need water to keep themselves clean, requiring the pool of water to be deep enough for them to dunk their head in.
If you want happy ducks, you'll need more water than that, preferrably enough for them to swim in.
The smaller the water source, the faster it will become fouled by the the oil excreted by the ducks and their generally poor hygiene. Attempts to train them to maintain proper space faring hygiene have mostly failed with the owners simply adapting the filtration and cleaning on their ships to accomodate the creatures.
Ducks are more cold-hardy and heat-tolerant than chickens, making them better suited for some of the environmental challenges that can come up on less well-maintained vessels. For this reason, ducks have become known as the poor captain's version of a chicken.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Ducks will eat anything. However, they prefer a balance of grains, seeds, vegetables, fruits and berries, insects, and other live food like small frogs and fish. Aquatic species are advised to keep ducks away from your fry, because small aquatics are considered delicacies by the ducks.
These birds are fairly intelligent and will adapt to life on a spaceship well. Be aware that unless you clip their wings, they'll fly around the ship. They spend their days foraging and swimming, so if you're dealing with a vermin infestation they can be extremely useful.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Ducks are social and form family units for a mating season. The following season you'll often find them forming different units, with no ill will towards their previous family units.
Domestication
Fairly easy to domesticate, provide a duck with food and you'll have a friend.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Fluffy baby ducks make adorable gifts as they can be hard to obtain given the interdicted nature of their home world.
Duck oil, obtained by rendering the fat of the duck, is prized as a cooking ingredient and has a wide variety of health benefits including natural anti-inflamatory and antioxidant properties. Some species believe that it enhances libido and is a cure to many ailments, however this is largely considered to be quackery.
Tasty and rich in fat, both the eggs and the ducks themselves are valued items in Human cuisine. While their accessability outside of Earth is limited, some delicious recipes have been developed by the Marelians, the main species that has domesticated them and frequently raise them in other environments.
This article is a stub.
I'll be adding more content to this article in the future.
The drakes are much more colorful than the hens. Coloring varies by species.
I love the whole thing, but particularly the fact that there's a bar game about getting one's ducks in a row.
Thanks! I couldn't resist.