{{Short description|German breed of duck}} {{about|the Pekin duck breed of Europe|the Pekin breed of the United States|American Pekin|other uses|Pekin duck (disambiguation)}} {{infobox poultry breed | name = German Pekin | image = A small group of Yonkin German Pekins.jpg | image_size = | alt = a group of white ducks with short yellow bill | image_caption = | status = {{ubl|FAO (2007): not listed{{r|barb|page=153}}|GEH: seriously endangered}} | altname = {{ubl|Pekin|Peking|White Pekin}} | country = {{ubl|China|Germany}} | distribution = Europe | standard = | use = {{ubl|meat|eggs|showing}} | apa = | aba = | ee = yes{{r|ee}} | pcgb = heavy{{r|pcgb}} | maleweight = {{ubl|UK: 4.1 kg|Germany: 3.5 kg}} | femaleweight = {{ubl|UK: 3.6 kg|Germany: 3.0 kg}} | skincolour = | eggcolour = white or tinted | note = | type = Domestic duck | latin = Anas platyrhynchos }}
[[File:Dürigen, Die Geflügelzucht, 1923, p368a, cropped.jpg|thumb|German Pekin drake, illustration from Bruno Dürigen, ''Die Geflügelzucht'', 1923]] thumb|A duck The '''German Pekin''', {{langx|de|{{noitalics|'''Deutsche Pekingente'''}}}}, is a European breed of domestic duck. It is commonly called simply '''Pekin''' or '''White Pekin'''.{{r|dad1|dad2}} It is a different breed from the American Pekin, which is also commonly known by the same names. It was bred in Europe from birds originating in China and Japan and is distributed in many European countries.{{r|ee|dad1}}
== History ==
The mallard was probably domesticated in China before 1000 AD.{{r|dave|page=92}} Force-feeding of ducks is documented from the tenth century, under the Five Dynasties.{{r|alan|page=593}} Chinese people were sophisticated breeders of ducks.{{r|dave|page=92}} Among several breeds they created was one named ''shi-chin-ya-tze'', or roughly "ten-pound duck".{{r|ken}}
In 1872 some birds of this type were imported to the United Kingdom by Walter Steward;{{r|ken}} others were taken to the United States by James E. Palmer, where they gave rise to the American Pekin breed.{{r|dave|page=92}} Some soon reached Germany from the UK, possibly via France.{{r|vieh|chris}}
In Germany the Chinese ducks were cross-bred with upright white ducks brought from Japan by Dutch ships, resulting in birds with a steep body angle; those taken to the United States were crossed with Aylesbury birds, which led to birds with a more horizontal stance.{{r|ken}} In Britain as in Germany, breeders in the early twentieth century tended to select for an upright body position. The modern British breed derives mostly from birds imported from Germany from about 1970.{{r|chris}}
In 2017 the German Pekin was listed as "seriously endangered" in the Rote Liste of the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen, a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.{{r|geh}} In 2025 its conservation status in Germany was listed in DAD-IS as "at risk/endangered",{{r|dad}}, while in the United Kingdom it was "not at risk".{{r|dad3}}
== Characteristics ==
The Pekin is heavily feathered; the plumage is creamy white with a yellowish tinge.{{r|ken|chris}} The beak is short and orange-coloured.{{r|chris}} The body is broad and heavy, and is held almost vertical. In the United Kingdom, drakes weigh approximately {{val|4.1|u=kg}} and ducks about {{val|3.6|u=kg}},{{r|roberts|page=438}} while in Germany drakes weigh approximately {{val|3.5|u=kg}} and ducks about {{val|3|u=kg}}.{{r|tgrdeu}}
== Use ==
The Pekin was intended to be a table bird, reared for its meat. In Germany it has not been kept for agricultural production since about the time of the Second World War, and is primarily a show bird.{{r|vieh}} Ducks lay about 80 eggs per year; the eggs weigh approximately {{val|80|u=g}}.{{r|tgrdeu}}
== References == {{commonscat}} {{reflist|45em|refs=
<ref name=alan>Alan Davidson (1999). ''The Oxford Companion to Food''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{isbn|9780192115799}}.</ref>
<ref name=barb>Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn|9789251057629}}. Archived 23 June 2020.</ref>
<ref name=chris>Chris Ashton, Mike Ashton (2001). [https://books.google.it/books?id=asIoCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT111&hl=en ''The Domestic Duck'']. Ramsbury, Marlborough: The Crowood Press. {{isbn|9781847979704}}.</ref>
<ref name=dad>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=DEU&specie=Duck%20(domestic)&breed=Deutsche%20Pekingenten&external=1&lang=en Breed data sheet: Deutsche Pekingenten / Germany (Duck (domestic))]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2025.</ref>
<ref name=dad1>[https://dadis-transboundary-breed-ws.web.app/?species=Duck%20(domestic)&transboundary=Pekin&external=1&lang=en Transboundary breed: Pekin]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2025.</ref>
<ref name=dad2>[https://dadis-transboundary-breed-ws.web.app/?species=Duck%20(domestic)&transboundary=White%20Pekin&external=1&lang=en Transboundary breed: White Pekin]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2025.</ref>
<ref name=dad3>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=GBR&specie=Duck%20(domestic)&breed=Deutsche%20Pekingenten&external=1&lang=en Pekin / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Duck (domestic))]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2025.</ref>
<ref name=dave>Dave Holderread (2011). [https://books.google.it/books?id=sB6g95tyzg4C&hl=en ''Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks''], second edition. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. {{isbn|9781603427456}}.</ref>
<ref name=ee>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130616062803/http://www.entente-ee.com/deutsch/sparten/gefluegel/dateien/2013/Verzeichnis%20R%20F%2028042013.xls Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013)]. Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.</ref>
<ref name=geh>[http://www.g-e-h.de/geh/jupgrade/rassebeschreibungen/56-gefluegelenten/131-deutsche-pekingente Deutsche Pekingenten] (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed February 2017.</ref>
<ref name=ken>Kenneth Broekman (December 2009). [https://web.archive.org/web/20170215030429/http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/09e06a12.pdf The German Pekin Duck]. ''Aviculture Europe''. '''5''' (6), article 12. Archived 15 February 2017.</ref>
<ref name=pcgb>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143235/http://www.poultryclub.org/img/Breed%20Classification.pdf Breed Classification]. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.</ref>
<ref name=roberts>Victoria Roberts (2008). [https://books.google.it/books?id=nAfyUHY42u0C&hl=en ''British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain'']. Oxford: Blackwell. {{isbn|9781405156424}}.</ref>
<ref name=tgrdeu>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201123170753/https://tgrdeu.genres.de/default/hausundnutztiere/detailansicht/detail/63E5D466-BB24-FD58-E040-A8C0286E751D Rassebeschreibung Ente: Deutsche Pekingenten] (in German). Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung – TGRDEU. Archived 23 November 2020.</ref>
<ref name=vieh>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220808005949/http://www.vieh-ev.de/Rassen/Gefluegel/pekingente.html Deutsche Pekingente] (in German). Vielfältige Initiative zur Erhaltung gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 8 August 2022.</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:German Pekin}} Category:Duck breeds Category:Duck breeds originating in Germany
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