A Khaki Campbell duck is generally considered a senior from about five to six years old. The Khaki Campbell, developed in England as a specialist laying duck, built its reputation on hens that produce remarkable numbers of eggs through their first several seasons. Ducks as a group can live a decade or more, but a Campbell's productive prime is front-loaded: laying frequency, shell quality, and general vigour all ease down from around year five, and from then on she is best kept as a senior bird whose legs, feet, and nutrition get planned attention rather than the flock-average care of her youth.
What Changes When Laying Slows Down
A senior Campbell's calendar stops revolving around the nest box. Eggs become less frequent and may arrive with thinner or rougher shells, she may moult more slowly or less completely, and her interest in ranging widely over the pen typically shrinks to a smaller circuit between water, feed, and a favourite resting spot. None of that is illness by itself — it is a laying athlete easing into retirement — but it changes her nutritional needs, because a bird no longer producing an egg most days needs less calcium pushed at her and a diet judged on body condition rather than output. Keep a simple laying note for older hens; a sudden stop combined with listlessness is a health flag, while a gradual taper across a season is age doing its ordinary work.
Legs and Feet: The Senior Duck's Weak Point
Ducks carry their weight on feet never designed for hard, rough, or filthy ground, and older birds pay for every year of it. A senior Khaki Campbell who sits for long stretches, trails the flock, or walks with a waddle that has become a limp is often sore rather than lazy. Inspect the underside of her feet regularly for swelling, scabs, or a hard core under the pad, keep her living area clean and dry underfoot with soft bedding or grass rather than bare concrete, and make water access step-free — climbing in and out of a high-sided pool tests ageing joints daily. Any swollen foot, reluctance to bear weight, discharge, or a bird who stops coming to feed should be seen by a vet promptly, because foot infections in ducks deepen quickly and older birds have less reserve.
Feeding an Older Campbell Differently
Offer a balanced waterfowl ration she can reach without competition from younger, faster hens, and position feed and water close together — ducks need water beside food to eat comfortably and swallow safely, and an old bird bullied away from the drinker eats less of everything. Provide calcium on the side, as crushed shell in a separate dish, so a semi-retired layer can take what she needs without the whole ration being built around eggs she no longer lays. Greens, grazing, and time dabbling for insects keep her occupied and moving, which protects both joints and mood. Watch her keel and body condition by gentle handling: you want flesh over the breastbone without a heavy abdomen, which strains legs and laying organs alike.
Housing and Flock Life for an Ageing Duck
Senior ducks need housing that asks nothing athletic of them: low thresholds, dry deep bedding, draught-free shelter, and no competition at the doorway from boisterous young birds. Keep her with calm companions — ducks are flock animals and an old hen isolated for her own protection usually declines faster from stress — and ensure she can reach bathing water shallow enough to enjoy safely, since bathing maintains feather condition and waterproofing she relies on for warmth. In cold weather check that she is actually waterproof; a senior bird whose feathers wet through chills quickly and should be dried, housed warmly, and discussed with a vet if it recurs.
Keeping a simple KinsLe Pet Passport for your older Khaki Campbell — laying pattern, foot checks, weight feel, and any vet visits — makes gradual senior changes visible before they become crises.