Beginners Guides to Keeping Calls

When buying your first calls it is essential that you see them, as far as possible in their usual environment. That is to say, in the collection of an established and reputable breeder. This will allow you to make your choice from a variety of healthy stock of good quality and give you a good idea of what you need to do to keep them that way. The main points to look out for are as follows:

1) A bright sparkling eye
2) They should appear active and content
3) Healthy plumage with a clean vent area
4) Ideal weight for drake 0.56-0.68kg. Duck 0.45-0.56kg

The standard colours are:
White                                         Apricot
Blue or Black bibbed                  Blue fawn
Magpie                                       Pied
Silver                                          Dark silver
Mallard                                       Black

New colours are being produced regularly and crossbreeding between the standard colours produces a rainbow variety of attractive pet quality birds.

The best time to make your purchase is early spring or late autumn when their plumage is at it best and in full colour. In the spring breeding season the drakes will definitely be at their boisterous best. Call ducks make an ideal family pet, living up to 10 years and requiring little attention. In return they provide endless hours of relaxation and amusement with the bonus of keeping down garden pests without damage to the flora.

The charm and beauty of the call duck are obvious to all. It is and will remain the gem of the waterfowl fancy.

Merryl Lloyd