plumage and has a yellowish snout and feet, as well as brown eyes. Duck's bills are brown-orange, whereas the drakes' bills are yellow. In the U.S., there existed a blue variety of Orpington duck, but it was most likely absorbed into the Blue Swedish breed. Uniformity is key with regard to colour patterns. Typically, fawn-buff is considered ideal with the drakes having a fawn-buff or seal-brown head. The bill of the drake is yellow while the hen has a brownish-orange bill. They have orange feet and legs. Buff Orpington ducks are typically lighter than their khaki-coloured counterparts as a result of a recessive sex-linked dilution factor. It was found that a deficiency of vitamin U resulted in widespread deposition of black pigment in the feathers of buff orpington ducks, a breed normally not known for black pigmentation. Diet The Buff Orpington duck eats insects, larvae, aquatic invertebrates, seeds, acorns, aquatic vegetation, and grains; they require regular freshwater access. Breeding In general, the Buff offers much to the breeder who is seeking an attractive, dual-purpose bird. It produces 150 to 220 eggs per year and gains weight fairly rapidly, enabling it to be sold within eight to ten weeks of birth. Conservation status The Buff Orpington is listed on the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watch List. The orpingtons are classified as light ducks, but they are on the larger size scale. Their eggs are produced at an average rate of 150 per year, which makes them a Critically Endangered species. See also List of duck breeds References http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/waterfowl/buffduck.html http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Buffs/BRKBuff.html Cook, William.(1897)The Poultry Journal No.138, Vol.12, p. 81-82. HOLDERREAD, D., & CENTER, P. (2001). Raising Ducks. https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/buff-orpington-duck/ Malone, P., Gerald D., and Walt L. (1998). The American Standard of Perfection. Mendon, MA: American Poultry Association. Thompson, J. M. (2008). The Orpington Ducks. Batty, J. (1985). Domesticated ducks and geese. Nimrod Book Services. Lancaster, J. F. (2013). The inheritance of plumage colour in the common duck (Anas platyrhynchos Linné). Springer. Bender, E. F., Sponenberg, D. P., & Bixby, D. E. (2000). Taking stock of waterfowl: the results of the American livestock breeds conservancy's domestic duck and goose census. Diversity, 16(3), 21–24. Decker, A., & McGinnis, J. (1947). Black pigmentation in feathers of buff Orpington chicks caused by vitamin D deficiency. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 66(1), 224–226. External links Duck breeds Conservation Priority Breeds of the Livestock Conservancy Duck