Ack! Need Call duck variety ID quick, PLEASE :)

[ChickenPotPie]

I'm entering my boys' birds in their very first non-fair show ever and am unsure of the variety of Call ducks they hatched last year. Dad was a Gray (typical Mallard look), mom is a butterscotch (I THINK). She's a creamy, pale brownish, sort of mottled color - well, she's looks the color of homemade butterscotch, lol. Babies were - one gray female, and the two males grew up to look just like dad but without the green head. Their heads are a matte, dark charcoal gray. They are about 10 months old now. To me, a novice who is blind to the intricate differences, their bodies look pretty much like dad's (the gray).

We entered them as Grays at the fair and asked the judge afterward if they were in fact grays (because they do NOT have the green head like dad) and he said Yes, they are grays with the explanation that young gray males don't get green heads until their second year. Is he right? I wonder because (sorry folks but...) some fair judges don't know much and I didn't know this judge from Adam.

The show secretary is being very helpful and patient with me in helping me with the boys' entry but he needs the correct variety for the entry. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT COLOR VARIETY THOSE MALE CALL DUCKS ARE? Because...

ETA: It may be helpful to add that when we bought the mom and dad, that the breeder said the two of them could have 3 possible color variety of babies - gray, pastel, and ? something else.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Do you have pics?

 

[1lpoock]

Pics would help but it is not true about grey drakes....they get the green head after a few months.

 

[CityChicker]

I agree that pics would be helpful. First though, no, the judge was not correct. Not at all. They definitely will get a green head long before two years old. Your initial guess on the colors does not sound right. If the female was a Butterscotch and the dad a pure Grey, all the offspring would probably look like Blue Fawns since Butterscotch has double blue dilution and the light phase wouldn't show in the first generation if one parent was a pure Grey.

Reading further down your post though, I suspect the initial pair you got was Blue Fawn. Blue Fawns will produce Grey, Pastel, and Blue Fawn. Anyway, pictures would be the easiest way to tell for sure, but no- Greys would never have a charcoal colored head. The judge was wrong.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Mine sure did. Even the non-show quality ones.

 

[1lpoock]

Quote:
Are you saying yours got the green head after a year or after a few months....sorry just confused..

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Okay, I'm working on getting pics off my camera, onto the computer, to Photobucket, to here. Slow connection but, pics coming soon.

ETA: Your words are helping. I think light bulbs are coming on and I'm better able to SEE color varieties.

I know dad is a Gray and I think mom is a Pastel. I think their offspring may be blue fawns. Is that possible? Still waiting for pics to upload.

 

[TK Poultry]

well the grey call thing they are like mallards ive had one grey drake and he didnt get his green untill he was almost a year old and pictures of your babies would be nice

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
Yes, if one parent bird is a pure Grey and the other is a Pastel, then all offspring would be Blue Fawn.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Alrighty, I hope this works. Here's the family photos.......

Dad

Mom

Male offspring

Female offspring