Flying Ducks?

rlmitchell

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Hi everyone! My Blue Swedish ducks are doing great, but I noticed this morning that Waddles was flapping her wings and actually got herself off the ground. She flew about 3-4 feet into the air for a distance of maybe 6 feet and them plummeted to the ground (almost face first).

Can Blue Swedes fly???? Should I consider clipping their wings? They are only 8 weeks old at this point so I'm not sure what's to come (I always thought these kind of ducks could not fly).

HELP!

Rhonda
 
Hi everyone! My Blue Swedish ducks are doing great, but I noticed this morning that Waddles was flapping her wings and actually got herself off the ground. She flew about 3-4 feet into the air for a distance of maybe 6 feet and them plummeted to the ground (almost face first).

Can Blue Swedes fly???? Should I consider clipping their wings? They are only 8 weeks old at this point so I'm not sure what's to come (I always thought these kind of ducks could not fly).

HELP!

Rhonda
I just read this week on here about a blk swede that is flying 2 miles to an open pond to visit some domesticated ducks that live there. I was under the assumption they couldn't fly either but I guess some can. I have Muscovy's so I have to clip a wing to keep them home,[ducks love to fly] and I don't want one to take off just for the shear joy of flying and not make it home. I choose to clip.
http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/clipping-duck-and-goose-wings-to.html
 
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When my runners were about 8 weeks, they could get a little distance (10 feet, 2 feet off the ground) with their wings, but as they matured, they could no longer get much loft.

They can clear a three foot fence on the hillside if they start high enough up.

I call it wing assisted jumping.

Regarding the flying Swedish duck, since ancestors flew, I would expect that somewhere down the line, some domestic ducks will be able to fly, just like some runners are good broodies. They buck the trend.

If, once your ducks are fully mature, they are still flying, I would clip wing feathers. But once they fill out you may not need to do that.
 
Thank you all for the tips. If they end up flying, I'll be asking how to clip wings I guess! Oh well, small bit of effort for the amount of fun we are having with them. Thanks all!
 

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