Breed Spotlight: The Swedish Duck
Perhaps you’re familiar with the Swedish duck and don’t even realize it. The Looney Tunes cartoon character Daffy Duck is a Black Swedish duck.
Breed Origin
The Swedish duck originated around 1830 in the region of Pomerania, which at the time was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden. By 1884, the first Swedish ducks had been imported into the United States. The breed was included in the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection in 1904.
Blue Swedish male and female duck pair. Notice the drake feather of the male in front.
Appearance
The Swedish duck breed is a medium-class duck with an average adult weight of 6.5 to 8 pounds. Currently, the only color variety of the Swedish that the American Poultry Association recognizes is the Blue Swedish. The Swedish is more commonly seen as the black color variant. Both color variants have an all-over body color of shades of blue to black, respectively. Males usually have darker heads, and both genders have a white chest “bib.” Either gender may have white in their wing feathers, and the APA Standard of Perfection for the Blue Swedish calls for this trait to be expressed, but few show quality ducks possess it. The bill of an adult male Swedish is blue-green, while the female’s bill is a slate gray color. The leg color of both genders is black as ducklings, turning lighter gray to orange as adults.Personality
The Swedish duck is considered a good “starter” duck because of its calm personality. The Swedish is a fairly good forager, and the females are attentive mothers. The Swedish is even calm and friendly enough to allow children to handle them if children have raised them from their hatch.
Egg and Meat Production
The Swedish duck lays around 100-160 eggs annually. Among the many duck breeds available, this is considered a lower output of eggs. So if that is your goal, the Swedish may not be the best choice for high egg production. The eggs are usually white, but some females may lay eggs with a slight greenish hue to the shell. With an average adult weight of 6 to 8 pounds, a finished table bird can weigh around 4 to 5 pounds after processing. The Swedish makes a friendly dual-purpose duck for meat and eggs. Let us know if you keep the Swedish duck and how you enjoy having them. Leave us a comment below.Related Posts You Might Like
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I have both blue and black Swedish ducks and keep them as pets. They are both curious, beautiful, intelligent, and fun to watch, but my blue is much friendlier than my black. But what my black lacks in friendliness, she makes up for in beauty! My black hen actually has a green-hued black feathered head, with both blue and purple-hued black feathers along her back that fade into a lovely deep teal towards her tail, and has a really neat white speckled patch on her chest.
My blue is very sweet and cuddly, and wants to be near me all the time, though she prefers being as close to my face as possible over anything else. She will follow me everywhere I go if I let her!
Both types are wonderful flock additions and are a joy to have!
Sounds like you have some wonderful pets to enjoy! Thanks for sharing your experience with this great breed.
My question is how did u get them to where they would cuddle. I have 2. I have had them for a month and a half. They are pets and they are inside . They have their own bed and go outside through out the day. I just don’t want them wondering away. I talk to mine and if they are roaming in the house they will come to the same room but they still run when I try to hold them. I have a male Mallard. I kept them separated right now till they get a little older. But I want to cuddle mine.
Hi Lucinda. We don’t have any experience with keeping ducks as house pets and making them appreciate being cuddled. Poultry in general just aren’t quite to the same level as companionship and domestication as dogs. It sounds like you’re doing everything you can to help your ducks become accustomed to living close to people. Good luck!