Blue Swedish duck

[Amanda0609]

Ok so it looks like I brought home a Blue Swedish duckling yesterday. I haven't been able to find much about them online. I am just wondering how loud these guys are. If anyone one has them could you give me some basic information on them? If you have pictures I would also love to see those! Thanks

 

[Amanda0609]

I also need to know if they fly very well, I will need to keep wings clipped if they can.

 

[Pearsandgrapes]

I don't know MUCH about them...

I believe they are a large breed and do not fly, so no clipping of wings is necessary.
They lay eggs in season, not year round, from what I have read. I dont' actually own any though, so maybe this info is incorrect.
I don't remember reading anything about them being loud...

I do know that I regret not getting some when I got my Khaki's last year.

as well as Welsh Harlequins
as well as Cayugas
as well as...well you get where I am going right?

 

[Amanda0609]

Thanks, I was hoping I wouldn't need to clip wings. I'm really hoping he/she isn't very loud either. I know what you mean, I wanted way more than 1! Plus I thought about getting more chicks. Good thing my husband was with me to say NO, just 1 duck! I have a problem now, but I think most of us on here do!

 

[LoreenH]

They can fly.....like a brick, so you won't need to clip wings. They are one of the year-round layers, that's one of the reasons I've decided on that breed when I'm able to get them.

 

[Amanda0609]

Quote:
Awesome!!! One less set of wings to clip. Are they very loud?? I hope not.

 

[WadeMD]

I have two black swedish... at 5 weeks of age, they are right up there with the runners in volume and intensity. They grow fast, get big, and are just as loud as a runner. Then again, my Cayuga can be too, but typically is not.

One of my black swedish is the boss of the flock - she picks on everyone and is the largest.

 

[newchickmom09]

I have two ducks that are swedish mixes. The best way to say how they fly is "Yes, they fly like a brink" Mine can get about 2 feet off of the ground for about 5-7 feet if they are running realy fast before they take off. So you don't have to worry about clipping there wings at all. They are great foragers both on the ground and in water. This is my females first laying season and once she started I get an egg a day from her. She started right as it started to get warmer here so around end of Feb. and is still going strong. My female hasn't gone broody yet so I don't think they are the most broody of breeds. Swedish in general I think aren't of the most broody breeds.

As for noise, well once my female got her "quack" she was almost louder then my Jersey Giant roosters were.

So from about 12 weeks-25 weeks old she was VERY loud when she would get all worked up. When they start laying then kind of calm down with the noise. So if you have neighbors that are going to complain maybe bribe then with eggs when they come.

You could hear her "QUACK QUACK QUACK quack quack" all the way down the road. They will quack during the night also. But just remember once they get out of that "teen" stage then they quiet down.

Look up Black Swedish also. Sometimes you get more info that way. Black, blue, and splash Swedish are all the same duck just different colors. Search all over BYC and you can find some great info here too.

FTA: fill up a hole with water outside and they will be in heaven dabbling in it. And peas are the way to there hearts.

 

[Amanda0609]

Thanks for the info everyone! I will search under just swedish and see what else I can learn. I am brand new to this duck thing so I have plenty I need to learn! So how old is this little duck going to be before I can tell female/male and how do you tell with ducks?

 

[newchickmom09]

It is a lot easier if you have two to compare but if yo only have one you just have to listen closely. At about 8 weeks old my females voice started to change. It changed from the duckling noises that they make to a more quack sound. The male kept that duckling squeek. The "quack " that you think of with a duck only comes from females. The males make a hissing raspy noise. If you can't tell by the voice then at about 12 weeks males get a drake feather. The drake feather is at the end of the tail and it is one or two feathers that curl over. Only drakes get that. So at the ealiest maybe 6 weeks if the female is going to start quacking soon and latest around 12 weeks old. Then you will deffiantly hear the quack or raspy noise or see a drake feather.

Ebony my male (see the curled feather at the end of his tail)

Cocoa my female (notice her straight feathers at the end of her tail, plus she has an "egg belly" in this pic, males don't get one like that)

Here is the link to "sexing ducklings" that is here on the Sticky Posts in the duck section of BYC. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=181147