The Rouen Duck is a heavyweight breed of domesticated duck

Domesticated duck

Domesticated ducks are ducks that are raised for meat, eggs and down. Many ducks are also kept for show, as pets or for their ornamental value...

 raised primarily for decoration or as general purpose ducks, since they are not prolific egg layers. The breed originated in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 sometime before the 19th century.

The plumage coloring of both the Rouen Drake and the Rouen Hen are identical to that of the Mallard

Mallard

The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....

 Drake and Mallard Hen: Males have green heads, white collars, black tail feathers, a gray body, and a deep claret breast while the Females are mottled light brown with a black crown and eye-stripes; Both genders also have blue speculum feathers

Speculum feathers

The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.Examples of the colour of the speculum in a number of ducks are:* Common Teal and Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green edged with buff....

. However, Rouens are brighter in colour and larger in size than Mallards. The Rouen Duckling is identical to the Mallard Duckling in terms of plumage coloring. In North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, two distinct types are bred: the common or production-bred variety that is larger than a Mallard but has a typical duck conformation

Conformation

Conformation generally means structural arrangement and may refer to:*Carbohydrate conformation, the three-dimensional shape of a carbohydrate...

; and the much larger and squarer standard-bred variety. The production variety normally weighs 6–8 lbs (2.7–3.6 kg) while the standard-bred weighs 9–12 lb (4.1–5.4 kg).

The breed was first raised in France, but it was not until it reached England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 in the 19th century that it was refined into the breed recognized as the Rouen today. The French version resembled a larger than an average Mallard, but by selective breeding the British managed to double the size of the bird, improve its colouration, and add bulk, giving it a more "boat-like" aspect. It was used chiefly as a roasting bird; though it produced 35 to 125 eggs a year, there were other breeds which were more reliable egg-layers with higher production. In 1861, Mrs Beeton

Mrs Beeton

Isabella Mary Beeton , universally known as Mrs Beeton, was the English author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, and is one of the most famous cookery writers.-Background:...

 said of it:
The origin of the name is not known. When they arrived in England, they were variously called Rhône, after the region in southwest-central France; Rohan

Louis René Édouard, cardinal de Rohan

Louis René Édouard de Rohan known as the Cardinal de Rohan , prince de Rohan-Guéméné, was a French bishop of Strasbourg , politician, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and cadet of the Rohan family...

, after the cardinal of that name; Roan

Roan (color)

Roan is a coat color found in many animals, notably horses, cattle and dogs. It is defined generally as an even mixture of white and pigmented hairs that does not "gray out" or fade as the animal ages...

, for the mixture of colours; and Rouen

Rouen

Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...

 after the northern French town, with Rouen eventually being adopted in both England and France. In France they are called Rouen Foncé (dark) as opposed to Rouen Clair, which are lighter in colour.

In 1850 the first Rouens were introduced to the USA by D. W. Lincoln of Worcester

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, and used as general farm ducks until becoming popular as show birds. They were included in the American Poultry Association

American Poultry Association

The American Poultry Association is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. Founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932 The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in response to the burgeoning need for an overseeing body to set standards...

's Standard of Perfection in 1874 and since then have won many titles, often having the most entries in the heavyweight class and doing well in competition with other breeds.