So far, this section has dealt with chickens, chickens and more chickens. There are of course other birds that fit under the classification of "barnyard."

Next to chickens, ducks would be without doubt the most popular bird in backyards and on farms. This article gets down to the nitty-gritty about popular duck breeds and what they are used for. So let's take a quick view of the more common breeds of duck found around the world.

Most ducks are descended from the wild Mallard. Over years of careful selection, most of these breeds have lost the ability (or inclination) to fly, quite unlike their wild cousins.

The Rouen is a French breed (hence the name) which has retained the same colour pattern of the Mallard. It is a large duck, being bred for the lucrative meat trade, with a deep, square keel (or breast-bone). It is not a quick growing duck, nor is it a particularly good layer. The Aylesbury is another deep-keeled duck, but is snow white in colour and not quite as large as the Rouen. It originates from Britain and is also a meat breed.

The Campbell breed comes in a variety of colours of which the Khaki is the most popular and commonly seen. It is a medium sized duck, which has a similar plumage pattern to the Mallard, but with different colouring. It is bred primarily as a dual-purpose duck, being both a good layer and a meat bird.

The Pekin is a large creamy-white duck, with plumage which carries a peculiar canary colouring. It has an upright stance with the legs set right back on its body. It is another dual-purpose breed. The Pekin is believed to have originated somewhere in Asia and came to the west in the middle 1800s.

The Cayuga is a glossy black breed originating in America. Though modern Cayugas are quite large birds with rich beetle-green sheen, the early type was small with little keel, with more dusky colouring. It is a quiet, docile duck which is both a good layer and fine meat bird. The Cayuga tends to stick close to its home territory which makes it ideal for smaller areas.

The Orpington originated in Britain and was the brainchild of William Cook, who also developed the Orpington fowl. It comes in two colours, buff and blue, and is mostly bred for laying. The orpington matures early and is an excellent forager on more open range.

The Indian Runner is a strange-looking bird, very upright and slender of build. It is a small bird and is an extremely good layer, being bred for that purpose. It is a very active and wide-roaming duck. It is popularly kept in backyards, where it forages actively, eating all sorts of pests, particularly snails.

The Muscovy is a very different breed, originating in South America. It bears no similarity to other breeds of ducks, either in type, size or colour. The drakes are extremely large, sometimes 12 pounds or more in weight, yet the females are only about half that size. The drakes are very aggressive and will fight amongst themselves as well as attack other ducks and poultry.

Other breeds of ducks less commonly seen include the Crested, Blue Swedish, Appleyard, Harlequin and Call.