Call Duck Assortment from Metzers

[Strawberry74]

You lucked out! Looks like they gave you two penciled! The breeder they bought from didn't have magpie. Wahoo! Penciled calls are so pretty! I had 6 from the original breeder last Spring. I kept 2.

 

[Strawberry74]

You will definitely need to keep them separate since the others are large ducks and two weeks older at least. The call ducklings are very fragile and will get picked on. If you raise them close for a while so they can see but not touch your will be able to have them live together eventually. So sweet! It's taking all my will power not to put some call hatching eggs in my incubator. Thankfully it's full of emu eggs!!

 

[Strawberry74]

Oh no... one more thing I just noticed when looking back at your sweet pictures. I would provide the calls with a more protected water dish. If they get in and get stuck they might not be able to get out. It does happen sadly. Just a suggestion. I know you've waited for these precious babies.

 

[WVduckchick]

I would say the lighter one is pied, the darker one is penciled, but they could both be either I think! Too stinkin adorable, I’m sure!!

I was also gonna mention that water bowl but @Strawberry74 beat me to it. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can hop high enough to get into it!

* edit just to add in your first post with pics, in the pics of greys, the shot with the hand and 3 different colors is mine! Grey, blue fawn, and nutmeg. That’s my hand and my ducklings.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I would say the lighter one is pied, the darker one is penciled, but they could both be either I think! Too stinkin adorable, I’m sure!!

I was also gonna mention that water bowl but @Strawberry74 beat me to it. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can hop high enough to get into it!

* edit just to add in your first post with pics, in the pics of greys, the shot with the hand and 3 different colors is mine! Grey, blue fawn, and nutmeg. That’s my hand and my ducklings.

I don't think pied is an option

 

[Nero70002]

You lucked out! Looks like they gave you two penciled! The breeder they bought from didn't have magpie. Wahoo! Penciled calls are so pretty! I had 6 from the original breeder last Spring. I kept 2.

I’m guessing they’re just too lazy to go grab different colors when they don’t need to lol. I guess that would be a strategy for people who want a specific color but only want a few ducklings. Just order one specific and the rest assorted and you’ll probably get a few of the chosen color.

You will definitely need to keep them separate since the others are large ducks and two weeks older at least. The call ducklings are very fragile and will get picked on. If you raise them close for a while so they can see but not touch your will be able to have them live together eventually. So sweet! It's taking all my will power not to put some call hatching eggs in my incubator. Thankfully it's full of emu eggs!!

Maybe if one isn’t fertile “ oh my how did that small ‘emu’ egg get into there”

Oh no... one more thing I just noticed when looking back at your sweet pictures. I would provide the calls with a more protected water dish. If they get in and get stuck they might not be able to get out. It does happen sadly. Just a suggestion. I know you've waited for these precious babies. View attachment 3749203

Yep, that’s the older ones dish, I just wanted them to get a little food and water after their long trip before I made them a new brooder. Here’s their temporary one. I have them the brooder plate since the older one barely use it but I’ll probably add a heat lamp to the big brooder after school.

I would say the lighter one is pied, the darker one is penciled, but they could both be either I think! Too stinkin adorable, I’m sure!!

I was also gonna mention that water bowl but @Strawberry74 beat me to it. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can hop high enough to get into it!

* edit just to add in your first post with pics, in the pics of greys, the shot with the hand and 3 different colors is mine! Grey, blue fawn, and nutmeg. That’s my hand and my ducklings.

Pied isn’t an option so I’m assuming they’re both penciled. I just didn’t know if all penciled look like the obvious.

 

[Strawberry74]

They look great and I am so happy for you. Calls are really special and adorable little birds. I can go out on the pen and sit down and they all take turns coming over to crawl on me and nibble my boots and pant legs. Looks like you are getting plenty of cuddling time already!

The penciled 6 I got last year had varied amounts of black on them. The yellow and black ducklings in that picture are all penciled so you can see there is a variance in how they look. It's fun to see how they feather out! One female I sold got a ribbon at the fair for best in show duck for the kid who showed her!

 

[Nero70002]

The white calls were mostly apathetic towards me or ran from my hands. I think these babies love me I don’t think they scared of my hands, I think they actually go towards them. Maybe since they have less friends to imprint on and I think they arrived a little earlier than the others. The older babies mostly do their own thing or try to eat my hands if they don’t think I’ll grab them since I’ve fed them a little bit of grapes before. The WHs I had used to just walk all over my legs and try to eat my pants. And these babies try to get to the highest point or go to me and under my chin.

 

[Strawberry74]

The white calls were mostly apathetic towards me or ran from my hands. I think these babies love me I don’t think they scared of my hands, I think they actually go towards them. Maybe since they have less friends to imprint on and I think they arrived a little earlier than the others. The older babies mostly do their own thing or try to eat my hands if they don’t think I’ll grab them since I’ve fed them a little bit of grapes before. The WHs I had used to just walk all over my legs and try to eat my pants. And these babies try to get to the highest point or go to me and under my chin.

I love when they do that! How is the other 2 week old white call duck doing?

 

[Nero70002]

I love when they do that! How is the other 2 week old white call duck doing?

So at first I opened the box in the brooder but didn’t take them out, the runner tried to peck them but they all mostly ignored them. So I put all 3 in a cardboard box by the brooder. I took the two out and tried putting the smallest in with them (white call). The call was eyeing them up and then she kept trying to rev up her engine and then run over them on purpose. So she went back in the box. She’s doing well though.