What a Rouen is
The Rouen looks like a wild Mallard in colour but is much bigger. Metzer says a Rouen weighs at least three times as much as a Mallard and is second in size only to the Pekin and the Muscovy [2]. It was developed in Normandy and named after the city of Rouen [2]. It was the standard meat duck until the Pekin arrived in 1873, and joined the American Poultry Association's standard in 1874 [5]. The Livestock Conservancy lists the non-industrial Rouen on its Watch list [4].
Two kinds of Rouen
This is the most important thing to know before buying. Metzer says there are two varieties: the utility duck it sells, at about 5 to 7 pounds, and a Standard Rouen it does not carry, at about 9 to 10 pounds with a much longer, deeper body, which is the type that does well at shows [5]. The Kentucky Extension table's 8 to 9 pounds for hens and 9 to 10 for drakes matches the Standard type [3]. A Rouen from a hatchery's laying strain and a Rouen from a show breeder are different sizes and different layers, so ask which one you are getting.
Eggs
The two types lay very differently. Metzer says its utility Rouens lay about 140 to 180 eggs a year and that show-type Rouens do not lay nearly as many [5] [2]. Kentucky Extension's table says 40 to 60 [3], a much lower figure that is closer to what Metzer describes for show types. Metzer reports that about 35 percent of its females lay bluish eggs [5], and Kentucky Extension says a Rouen can lay a blue-tinted egg every other day [3].
Temperament and mothering
Metzer calls the Rouen very calm and says many people keep them as pets for their colouring [2] [5]. On its 1-to-9 scale of calm to nervous the breed scores 4.5, a little calmer than the midpoint [1]. It rates mothering as good and says they make excellent broody mothers [5] [1], which sets them apart from Pekins.
Colours: is there a black Rouen?
The standard Rouen is mallard-coloured: the drake has a green head and grey body, and Metzer says Rouens closely resemble wild Mallards in coloration [2]. The Livestock Conservancy adds that breeders also developed and exhibited Black, Blue, Fawn and Pastel Rouens, none of which the American Poultry Association has accepted [6]. It does not say whether those colours are bred or sold today, and Metzer's pages do not mention them, so if you want a black Rouen, expect to find a specialist breeder and ask to see the parents.
Noise, heat and cold
The Livestock Conservancy says Rouens are not as noisy as some breeds but can be talkative, especially the females, and that they do well in hot or cold climates when properly housed [6]. It also says they are docile and easy to handle as pets, though a drake will sometimes guard a nesting hen and chase anyone who approaches [6]. Because they are heavy and do not fly, it stresses keeping them safe from predators [6].
Flight
Our sources disagree. Metzer's blog says Rouens are flightless and a good Mallard look-alike for people who do not want flying birds, but the same page's table lists their flying ability as "Maybe" [5]. Metzer's sales page says Mallards fly quite easily and Rouens do not [2], and Kentucky Extension says they are too heavy to fly away [3]. We list them as unable to fly, marked as disputed. A light, utility-type Rouen may manage a short hop more easily than a Standard one.
What we have not pinned down yet
We have no source we trust for how long Rouens live, or for what Rouen ducklings look like: neither Metzer nor the Livestock Conservancy covers either, so the lifespan row is blank.