Kuttanadan Duck

The Kuttanadan Duck, also known as the Chara Duck, is a well-known indigenous breed of domestic duck native to the Kuttanad region of Kerala, India, often referred to as the “Rice Bowl of Kerala”. The breed is distinguished by its adaptability to the flooded paddy fields and backwater ecosystems of Kuttanad, where it forms an integral part of the region’s wetland farming system. Renowned for its high egg production, disease resistance, and excellent foraging ability, the Kuttanadan duck plays a vital socio-economic and ecological role in the traditional agricultural landscape of Kerala.

Geographic Origin and Habitat

The Kuttanadan duck originates from the Kuttanad wetlands, which extend across the Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala. The area lies below sea level (0.6 to 2.2 metres) and is criss-crossed by rivers, canals, paddy fields, and backwaters connected to Vembanad Lake, India’s longest freshwater lake.
This unique ecosystem, characterised by alternating periods of flooding and drainage, provides an ideal habitat for duck rearing. The ducks thrive in brackish and freshwater environments, feeding naturally on aquatic plants, snails, worms, small crustaceans, and leftover grains in post-harvest paddy fields.

Breed Characteristics

The Kuttanadan duck is a medium-sized, hardy waterfowl breed that exhibits remarkable adaptability to wetland conditions.
Physical Features:

• Body: Medium-sized, elongated, and compact.
• Plumage: Typically brown, grey, or mottled, with darker shades on the wings and back.
• Bill: Broad and flat, yellowish or dark grey in colour.
• Neck: Long and slender.
• Legs and Feet: Orange or dark grey, webbed for efficient swimming.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Drakes (males) are generally larger and have a curled tail feather; females are smaller with a straight tail.

Average Body Weight:

• Male: 1.6–2.2 kg
• Female: 1.4–1.8 kg

Behavioural and Adaptive Traits

The breed is highly gregarious, preferring to move and forage in large flocks. Its most distinctive adaptive feature is the ability to swim long distances and forage extensively in paddy fields and water bodies. Kuttanadan ducks are excellent scavengers, obtaining a major portion of their diet from natural sources.
They are also tolerant to water salinity variations and possess strong disease resistance, making them well-suited to the fluctuating environmental conditions of the Kuttanad wetlands.

Productive and Economic Traits

Kuttanadan ducks are primarily reared for egg production, though they are also valued for meat. They are one of the most productive indigenous duck breeds in India.
Egg Production:

• Annual average: 150–180 eggs per duck under traditional management; up to 250 eggs under improved feeding and management.
• Egg weight: 65–70 grams.
• Egg shell colour: Off-white to bluish-green.

Meat Production:

• Age at marketing: 6–8 months.
• Average live weight: 1.6–2.0 kg.
• Meat quality: Tasty and dark-coloured with high consumer preference in Kerala’s culinary traditions.

The duck egg is a staple in Kerala’s diet and is used in several traditional dishes such as “mutta roast” and “kakka erachi” (duck curry).

Management and Rearing Practices

Traditional Kuttanadan duck farming follows a semi-nomadic, free-range system integrated with the region’s paddy cultivation cycles.
Key features of management include:

• Post-harvest field foraging: Ducks are released into flooded paddy fields after harvest, where they feed on leftover grains, insects, and snails.
• Migratory flocks: Duck farmers, known locally as “Chara Kuttan”, often move large flocks (sometimes 500–1,000 ducks) seasonally across districts following the availability of post-harvest fields.
• Housing: Simple sheds made of bamboo and thatch on elevated ground near water bodies.
• Feeding: Natural scavenging supplemented with broken rice, rice bran, and aquatic vegetation.
• Health care: Minimal intervention, relying on the breed’s natural hardiness and low disease incidence.

This traditional integration of paddy–duck farming enhances soil fertility through droppings, controls pests such as snails and insects, and optimises resource use — an excellent example of sustainable agriculture.

Breeding and Conservation

Selective breeding programmes have been initiated by the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) and the Central Avian Research Institute (CARI), Izatnagar, to improve productivity while conserving the genetic purity of the Kuttanadan breed.
The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry for Eggs has identified Kuttanadan ducks as a valuable indigenous genetic resource. Conservation efforts focus on:

• Establishing nucleus breeding farms.
• Maintaining in-situ and ex-situ conservation flocks.
• Recording performance traits to improve egg yield and body weight.

Socio-Economic Importance

Duck rearing is a traditional livelihood in Kuttanad, particularly among smallholder and landless farmers. It provides:

• Supplementary income through sale of eggs and meat.
• Nutritional security for rural households.
• Employment opportunities in rural and wetland areas.

Women play a significant role in managing and marketing duck products, making the enterprise a tool for women’s empowerment and rural development.

Integration with Kuttanad Wetland Ecosystem

The Kuttanadan duck population is deeply intertwined with the ecology of the Kuttanad wetland ecosystem, which is a UNESCO-recognised Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). The paddy–fish–duck integrated farming model practised here exemplifies environmental sustainability.
Ecological benefits include:

• Nutrient recycling: Duck droppings enrich paddy fields, reducing fertiliser requirements.
• Biological pest control: Ducks consume pests, weeds, and snails harmful to crops.
• Water aeration: Swimming ducks help maintain oxygen levels in flooded fields.

This integration supports both biodiversity and agricultural productivity, contributing to climate-resilient livelihoods in low-lying coastal regions.

Challenges and Threats

Despite their resilience, Kuttanadan ducks face challenges such as:

• Decline in traditional rearing systems due to land-use change and urbanisation.
• Reduction in wetland area from reclamation and pollution.
• Disease outbreaks (e.g., duck plague, avian influenza) affecting large migratory flocks.
• Lack of organised marketing and veterinary support for small-scale farmers.

Conservation and development programmes emphasise training farmers in scientific management, disease control, and the use of balanced feed to sustain productivity.

Key Facts and Figures

Significance and Cultural Relevance

The Kuttanadan duck is not merely a livestock species but an inseparable component of Kerala’s cultural and agrarian identity. Its presence in traditional paddy fields symbolises the harmony between agriculture, ecology, and local livelihoods.