Swedish
DuckRare breed
The Blue Swedish comes from Pomerania — Swedish territory when the breed was first described in 1835, now split between Germany and Poland — and it is best known for a genetic quirk rather than a use. Blue plumage in ducks comes from a single incompletely dominant gene, so breeding blue to blue never breeds true: on average half the ducklings are blue, a quarter black, and a quarter splashed silver-white. It is a solid mid-weight dual-purpose duck, calm, quiet and notably cold-hardy, and one of the more reliable brooders among the heavier breeds. The white bib is required by the standard and is the first thing show judges look at, so the breed is unusually hard to breed to standard while looking easy to keep.
Weight
How to spot it
- Bill
- Blue-green to slate in the drake, slate-grey in the duck
- Carriage
- About 20° above horizontal on a broad, deep, medium-heavy body
- Plumage
- Slate-blue overall with a white heart-shaped bib on the chest and two white outer wing feathers
- Legs & feet
- Dusky orange to brown-slate
- Look for
- Even blue-grey plumage plus the white bib; black and splash siblings hatch from the same clutch
Varieties
Blue
Find Swedish breeders near you
14 providers currently list Swedish.
Browse Swedish breeders
