Swedish Duck

Description

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.
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.
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.
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.