Spotted Feet?

[Oregon Swedes]

The breed standard is not helping me. Not the American one, not the British one.

Are Blue Swedish Ducks expected to have spotted feet?

I finally got my hands on some Blue Swedish ducklings. They have (so far) lovely markings and they are nice and close coupled. But they have white feet, or dark toes and white webbing.

An acquaintance in Australia who raises exhibition Blue Swedish says they are supposed to have spotted feet. (Allowing for the fact that maybe the Australian standard is different.)

What? No? First I've heard of it. Back to the standard and it is silent on the issue.

It would make sense. They are basically tuxedo marked, bib and extremities white.

Judges? Help, please.

[dhw]

The standard says reddish brown with irregular black markings... Seems clear ;)

You want to read under "shanks and feet"

[Evy]

They'll probably yellow at maturity but 2 colored feet are commonly found in crosses, which a blue is.

[Oregon Swedes]

I'm curious, Evy, why you say they are crossbreds when the breed has been established since the 1800's?

[Evy]

If foot / leg color in any individual bird is other than what it's supposed to be, it may be an indication that that particular bird is the result of a cross, not the breed as a whole. Could also be just '' one of those things''. Occasionally I get a black feather or 2 in a white Call ( requiring ''cosmetic surgery'' ). These trace back to a line developed in the late 50s & are a welcome thing., as they very seldom appear after the 1st molt.

[goosedragon]

I think Evy mis wrote when she called the breed a cross, the blue in Blue Swedish ducks is due to heterozygosity in a color gene. Mate 2 Blue and get 25% Black, 50% blue and 25% Splash. As for individual birds I bow to Evy.

[Oregon Swedes]

I bought a batch of Blue Swedish from a hatchery. If they are purebreds, which I doubt, they are such poorly bred purebreds that they look like mutts. The one thing about them that is really lovely is that the blacks have the darkest shiniest black feet and bills and the blues have solid dark slate feet and bills.

Very pretty. Not that I would even consider adding them to my breeding program, but those lovely feet aren't even standard color. Rather a shame, because every time I would go to check on them, I would be admiring their feet.

Oh well. I will accept that my new ducklings are expected to have blotchy feet and I'll concentrate on admiring their neat little bibs and cute little white wingtips. Also enjoying their temperaments. So different from the hysterical ducklings from the hatchery. (and by hysterical, I don't mean funny)

[dhw]

Are the ones with the light splotches splash colored by chance?

[Oregon Swedes]

Light splotches? I have one splash from the hatchery and she is slivery, not spotted and her feet are solid color. The Blues I just got are definitely blue with 2 colors on their feet. Their bills were slightly 2-colored but seem to be filling in. I won't really know what color the feet are until the ducks mature a bit. When they arrived, the feet were white (literally) and dark.

I did just receive 2 in the same batch that are Swedish, but cocoa colored. I have no idea what those are unless they are "Fragrant Crispy Duck".

[Evy]

I think Evy mis wrote when she called the breed a cross, the blue in Blue Swedish ducks is due to heterozygosity in a color gene. Mate 2 Blue and get 25% Black, 50% blue and 25% Splash. As for individual birds I bow to Evy.

'' that particular bird is the result of a cross, not the breed as a whole.'' ???????????????

[Evy]

Bills & feet do change somewhat with maturity. I was refering to black bibbed ducks I get with a white x gray cross when they run together. The feet will be a combo. of orange & black.