Black vs Blue Swedish duckling identification

[New duck mommy 2021]

That's really rare. I haven't actually seen any domestic ducks with blue eyes before.

My Pekin has blue eyes
But they are not related in anyway
There must be a gene in one of the silver patents line to get the blue eyes
She keeps her Swedish together separate from her other breeds

 

[StormsnSaugeye]

My Pekin has blue eyes
But they are not related in anyway
There must be a gene in one of the silver patents line to get the blue eyes
She keeps her Swedish together separate from her other breeds

Keep us updated! I'd love to see what it would look like as an adult with those handsome eyes. In the meantime I'll be brooding this one indoors for a few weeks then introduce him to the pen and coop I bought shortly after finding the egg. My yard is actually quite big so I can essentially put a duck pen on one side of the yard and not even notice anything. So I have ideas on how to make this a bit of a fun project!
Also can I just say that 48 hours between external pip and zip is a bit of a record for me? The longest I've had before is like 33 hours. Usually 24-25 hours though. But 48 hours is a record for me. But not unusual I must say given the articles on here.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Keep us updated! I'd love to see what it would look like as an adult with those handsome eyes. In the meantime I'll be brooding this one indoors for a few weeks then introduce him to the pen and coop I bought shortly after finding the egg. My yard is actually quite big so I can essentially put a duck pen on one side of the yard and not even notice anything. So I have ideas on how to make this a bit of a fun project!
Also can I just say that 48 hours between external pip and zip is a bit of a record for me? The longest I've had before is like 33 hours. Usually 24-25 hours though. But 48 hours is a record for me. But not unusual I must say given the articles on here.

I sure will
These 3 will join my flock of
Pekin girl
Khaki drake
And their 5 children born in December
10 dud total
I started out thinking we were getting 2 lol

 

[Bettyboop7499]

So I was excited to see when I got home that a mystery egg I literally found half in the water of like, the only river in this state, hatched this afternoon. This after he spent 48 hours just chilling and being smug inside his egg and finally getting me worried last night.
Anyways, Best ya girl here can tell, it's a Swedish duckling. However with the down being so dark I would think Black Swedish. However, he's got a fair bit of yellow on his bill. But his lil cheesy flappers (Feet) are pretty much pure black.
How long after hatching does the distinction between blue and black Swedish become apparent?

I am so curious what you mean by “mystery egg”?? You actually found a duck egg? Took it home and hatched it? Please elaborate.

 

[StormsnSaugeye]

I am so curious what you mean by “mystery egg”?? You actually found a duck egg? Took it home and hatched it? Please elaborate.

Basically yeah. Where I live now, there aren't many bodies of water. Just the river and a small pond on a golf course. But people keep abandoning animals there thinking "water = duck fine!" Despite the fact that that's a death sentence. They might live a year or two but they'll be picked off quickly. So anyways, I'm out taking a walk along it cause it's literally the only water for miles and I'm a water person.
(I only live in the desert now because I accepted a position at one of the foremost radio observatories on earth)

So there, laying half submerged is an egg. I look around and there's no ducks, no nest, nothing. All the ferals were congregated a ways down getting free bread from well meaning residents (they don't know better but bread is a terrible thing for them). If it was in a nest I'd leave well enough alone but I figure might as well take the little guy home and see if he can incubate. Well a week ago he hatched.

By the way, I was down by that way again today and found another egg. Just as well, the shipped eggs I got (8 total) almost all died in their eggs. Only one has made it so far and it just popped externally today.

Anyways, there's a bit of an exception that if you reasonably believe that the egg or eggs are abandoned, there is no rule against taking them home. The only exception is if you're reasonably confident it's a wild duck egg.

Anyways the little duck is about a week old now. I have a hutch for him outside when he no longer needs brooding and I've begun building a large pen for him and the other duck that's hatching.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Yeah it was just chilling half underwater when I found it. The only wild ducks Around here are mallards, shovelers, teals, Ruddy duck, cinnamon teal, and the occasional merganser. However, There are a large number of abandoned ducks around here as well (Which infuriates me). And based upon the coloration I am inclined to believe it's a blue or black swedish duck based upon the down pattern. Since it doesn't have any of the telltale looks of any of the listed ducks, I know it's not one of them. Plus there was no nest nearby. Suggesting it was lain by a duck that was indifferent to it/not feeling broody.
So I figure it's a Swedish, probably offspring of one of the abandoned ducks you can occasionally see. But I'm leaning towards black swedish.
If this were a wild breed I'd already be in contact with a wildlife rehabilitation center.

This is the most intriguing part of the story, I am sitting here in disbelief, you found a wild duck egg in the river and you took it home and it just happen to be fertilize..and you hatched it? I love it! What a special little duck! That is just amazing! I just got my first Blue Swedish duck this year, I have six and I have no idea their sex yet. I have four that are 3-4 weeks and 2 that are 7-8 weeks.

 

[StormsnSaugeye]

This is the most intriguing part of the story, I am sitting here in disbelief, you found a wild duck egg in the river and you took it home and it just happen to be fertilize..and you hatched it? I love it! What a special little duck! That is just amazing! I just got my first Blue Swedish duck this year, I have six and I have no idea their sex yet. I have four that are 3-4 weeks and 2 that are 7-8 weeks.

One minor thing is it wasn't a wild duck. This was very much a swedish duck. Domesticated ducks don't count as wild since they're essentially abandoned pets. But yeah, it is wild, but what I've come to find is that for the most part, ducks who are free range with male ducks in their flock will predominantly lay fertile eggs.

So if you come across some random duck eggs at a park that are basically just scattered about, it might just be fertile. If you're already raising ducks or planning to, might as well if you have space for them. Just don't pilfer from nests and don't target what look to be wild duck eggs.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Basically yeah. Where I live now, there aren't many bodies of water. Just the river and a small pond on a golf course. But people keep abandoning animals there thinking "water = duck fine!" Despite the fact that that's a death sentence. They might live a year or two but they'll be picked off quickly. So anyways, I'm out taking a walk along it cause it's literally the only water for miles and I'm a water person.
(I only live in the desert now because I accepted a position at one of the foremost radio observatories on earth)

So there, laying half submerged is an egg. I look around and there's no ducks, no nest, nothing. All the ferals were congregated a ways down getting free bread from well meaning residents (they don't know better but bread is a terrible thing for them). If it was in a nest I'd leave well enough alone but I figure might as well take the little guy home and see if he can incubate. Well a week ago he hatched.

By the way, I was down by that way again today and found another egg. Just as well, the shipped eggs I got (8 total) almost all died in their eggs. Only one has made it so far and it just popped externally today.

Anyways, there's a bit of an exception that if you reasonably believe that the egg or eggs are abandoned, there is no rule against taking them home. The only exception is if you're reasonably confident it's a wild duck egg.

Anyways the little duck is about a week old now. I have a hutch for him outside when he no longer needs brooding and I've begun building a large pen for him and the other duck that's hatching. View attachment 3108358

That is truly an amazing story! I can’t believe it was still viable and hatched a week later! And then you found another one!

 

[StormsnSaugeye]

Well no it didn't hatch a week later. I found it, I incubated it for 28 days, it hatched. Sorry this isn't a wildlife rescue story ^^; just a lucky coincidence.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Haha…I misread you said it “hatched a week ago” not a week later but no worries I still love the story!

Well no it didn't hatch a week later. I found it, I incubated it for 28 days, it hatched. Sorry this isn't a wildlife rescue story ^^; just a lucky coincidence