Bantam Duck Page
- Thread starter Robert Blosl
- Start date
Quote:
Thanks! Here is one from a show a couple week ago.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/66947_indiehollister.jpg
Walt
What determines if a breed is a bantam, is it strictely the size of the bird? What size would be no longer considered a bantam breed? For example is there a max weight?? Sorry if this seems a stupid question.
Not s stupid question at all. most people don't know. I should know, but I don't, so I will give some examples. There are some people in the APA that think the mallards should be a light duck not a bantam duck. I have very small mallards, but they are still larger than BEI and Calls....at least good specimens. There are some Calls and Indies around that are bigger than wild mallards (which can be big). I believe that the people who want the mallards in the light duck class have never seen any good ones. I am guessing that weight rather than physical size was the determining factor in decided what was a bantam duck.
Mallard old male: 40oz
BEI old male: " 30oz
Call " " 26oz
Runner duck " 4.5lbs (Light duck class, not considered a bantam).
My mallards run around 32oz.
These are APA weights, I can't remember the ABA weights, but they should be the same. Most show ducks are below the recommended wieghts and some are just too small. When Calls and BEI become tiny, they no longer can reproduce. If someone sells a tiny, Call you can almost bet it is because it won't lay hard shell eggs or is infertile. I am not talking small, I'm talking about those little tiny cretin things that are sometimes shown.
This is the best I can do, maybe Bob has some info.
Walt
Thanks! Here is one from a show a couple week ago.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/66947_indiehollister.jpg
Walt
What determines if a breed is a bantam, is it strictely the size of the bird? What size would be no longer considered a bantam breed? For example is there a max weight?? Sorry if this seems a stupid question.
Not s stupid question at all. most people don't know. I should know, but I don't, so I will give some examples. There are some people in the APA that think the mallards should be a light duck not a bantam duck. I have very small mallards, but they are still larger than BEI and Calls....at least good specimens. There are some Calls and Indies around that are bigger than wild mallards (which can be big). I believe that the people who want the mallards in the light duck class have never seen any good ones. I am guessing that weight rather than physical size was the determining factor in decided what was a bantam duck.
Mallard old male: 40oz
BEI old male: " 30oz
Call " " 26oz
Runner duck " 4.5lbs (Light duck class, not considered a bantam).
My mallards run around 32oz.
These are APA weights, I can't remember the ABA weights, but they should be the same. Most show ducks are below the recommended wieghts and some are just too small. When Calls and BEI become tiny, they no longer can reproduce. If someone sells a tiny, Call you can almost bet it is because it won't lay hard shell eggs or is infertile. I am not talking small, I'm talking about those little tiny cretin things that are sometimes shown.
This is the best I can do, maybe Bob has some info.
Walt
Last edited:
That was very helpful, thank you.
Ok,, here is my first Appleyard Call duck.. I need input!!! EastTXChick thinks he looks great! Thanks Chickie!!
I am a newbie to all this and I have no clue what to look for in a show quality. I want to show a few call ducks at my local shows for the fun of it. So all input is most welcome. This little fella is almost a year old.
I am a newbie to all this and I have no clue what to look for in a show quality. I want to show a few call ducks at my local shows for the fun of it. So all input is most welcome. This little fella is almost a year old.
- Aug 3, 2009
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Purplefrog-one of these is a picture you didn't send me-a bit better angle.
His head and neck do look nice and thick and he looks pretty cheeky. His bill looks clean(which is good) and he has nice orange legs.
His body looks pretty fat and short in the pics. Does he look short(cobby) and fat in person?
His bill may be a hair long, but with the rarer varieties, that's not uncommon. Like I told you, breed him with a pretty, typey little hen and I bet you end up with some pretty babies.
I'm just not really familiar with Appleyard drake coloration-but he looks pretty good to me!
Congrats on your new birds!
His head and neck do look nice and thick and he looks pretty cheeky. His bill looks clean(which is good) and he has nice orange legs.
His body looks pretty fat and short in the pics. Does he look short(cobby) and fat in person?
His bill may be a hair long, but with the rarer varieties, that's not uncommon. Like I told you, breed him with a pretty, typey little hen and I bet you end up with some pretty babies.
I'm just not really familiar with Appleyard drake coloration-but he looks pretty good to me!
Congrats on your new birds!
Quote:
Yea, he is so short and fat that he really does waddle when he walks! I just think he is missing his neck ring. But like I said, he is still young and I am not certain when he last molted.
Yea, he is so short and fat that he really does waddle when he walks! I just think he is missing his neck ring. But like I said, he is still young and I am not certain when he last molted.
Quote:
Purplefrog, I hate to rain on the parade here, but unless this guy is in some sort of an eclipse molt, he does not show the Appleyard male color. Usually in many color varieties, drakes in eclipse will revert to female coloration and this is not the case here. I am on a different computer and so I don't have a picture of one of my drakes on here, but on my Appleyard page at http://dulcimyrhducks.zxq.net/silapyard.htm you can see one of my males in full nuptial plumage at a show this fall.
Now, I have so far only had one of my drakes in a partial eclipse so far due to their age...they went very quickly from duckling fuzz to full color, with very little eclipse, as they were late ducklings from last year...but even then I saw evidence of the patterning. The green heads became quickly apparent as well. This male of mine shown has gone BV and RV at several shows this fall.
What you have here puts me in mind of a dusky; what color of dusky, I am not sure, but I'm going to make a wild hair guess here and say blue fawn because I am not that familiar with duskies and have never seen one in person. Very little is published on them. However, if that were true and you do have a true dusky pattern anything, you would be luckier than if you have an Appleyard because duskies are VERY rare in North America, and it's my understanding that they can be used as foundation to produce other colors.
He's a nice looking duck, I'd keep showing his picture around and see what other people have to say...he's sure interesting!
Purplefrog, I hate to rain on the parade here, but unless this guy is in some sort of an eclipse molt, he does not show the Appleyard male color. Usually in many color varieties, drakes in eclipse will revert to female coloration and this is not the case here. I am on a different computer and so I don't have a picture of one of my drakes on here, but on my Appleyard page at http://dulcimyrhducks.zxq.net/silapyard.htm you can see one of my males in full nuptial plumage at a show this fall.
Now, I have so far only had one of my drakes in a partial eclipse so far due to their age...they went very quickly from duckling fuzz to full color, with very little eclipse, as they were late ducklings from last year...but even then I saw evidence of the patterning. The green heads became quickly apparent as well. This male of mine shown has gone BV and RV at several shows this fall.
What you have here puts me in mind of a dusky; what color of dusky, I am not sure, but I'm going to make a wild hair guess here and say blue fawn because I am not that familiar with duskies and have never seen one in person. Very little is published on them. However, if that were true and you do have a true dusky pattern anything, you would be luckier than if you have an Appleyard because duskies are VERY rare in North America, and it's my understanding that they can be used as foundation to produce other colors.
He's a nice looking duck, I'd keep showing his picture around and see what other people have to say...he's sure interesting!
- Aug 3, 2009
- 8,427
- 81
- 263
Quote:
Purplefrog, I hate to rain on the parade here, but unless this guy is in some sort of an eclipse molt, he does not show the Appleyard male color. Usually in many color varieties, drakes in eclipse will revert to female coloration and this is not the case here. I am on a different computer and so I don't have a picture of one of my drakes on here, but on my Appleyard page at http://dulcimyrhducks.zxq.net/silapyard.htm you can see one of my males in full nuptial plumage at a show this fall.
Now, I have so far only had one of my drakes in a partial eclipse so far due to their age...they went very quickly from duckling fuzz to full color, with very little eclipse, as they were late ducklings from last year...but even then I saw evidence of the patterning. The green heads became quickly apparent as well. This male of mine shown has gone BV and RV at several shows this fall.
What you have here puts me in mind of a dusky; what color of dusky, I am not sure, but I'm going to make a wild hair guess here and say blue fawn because I am not that familiar with duskies and have never seen one in person. Very little is published on them. However, if that were true and you do have a true dusky pattern anything, you would be luckier than if you have an Appleyard because duskies are VERY rare in North America, and it's my understanding that they can be used as foundation to produce other colors.
He's a nice looking duck, I'd keep showing his picture around and see what other people have to say...he's sure interesting!
Yeah, purplefrog, what she said.
See how nicely I crawfished out of that?
He does have decent conformation and if he IS a dusky, purplefrog, that would be AWESOME for you.
duckluck-his coloration is similar to my Butterbean, isn't it? His head looks more brown that green, doesn't it?
Purplefrog, I hate to rain on the parade here, but unless this guy is in some sort of an eclipse molt, he does not show the Appleyard male color. Usually in many color varieties, drakes in eclipse will revert to female coloration and this is not the case here. I am on a different computer and so I don't have a picture of one of my drakes on here, but on my Appleyard page at http://dulcimyrhducks.zxq.net/silapyard.htm you can see one of my males in full nuptial plumage at a show this fall.
Now, I have so far only had one of my drakes in a partial eclipse so far due to their age...they went very quickly from duckling fuzz to full color, with very little eclipse, as they were late ducklings from last year...but even then I saw evidence of the patterning. The green heads became quickly apparent as well. This male of mine shown has gone BV and RV at several shows this fall.
What you have here puts me in mind of a dusky; what color of dusky, I am not sure, but I'm going to make a wild hair guess here and say blue fawn because I am not that familiar with duskies and have never seen one in person. Very little is published on them. However, if that were true and you do have a true dusky pattern anything, you would be luckier than if you have an Appleyard because duskies are VERY rare in North America, and it's my understanding that they can be used as foundation to produce other colors.
He's a nice looking duck, I'd keep showing his picture around and see what other people have to say...he's sure interesting!
Yeah, purplefrog, what she said.
See how nicely I crawfished out of that?
He does have decent conformation and if he IS a dusky, purplefrog, that would be AWESOME for you.
duckluck-his coloration is similar to my Butterbean, isn't it? His head looks more brown that green, doesn't it?
Quote:
Yea, he is so short and fat that he really does waddle when he walks! I just think he is missing his neck ring. But like I said, he is still young and I am not certain when he last molted.
I'm not up on all the non standard Call colors that are out there, but he is not in eclipse. He still has the sex feather. That just looks like a nuptial color anyway.
He has pretty good type though and if he looks like this as a young drake, he will get better. Calls improve with age.
Walt
Yea, he is so short and fat that he really does waddle when he walks! I just think he is missing his neck ring. But like I said, he is still young and I am not certain when he last molted.
I'm not up on all the non standard Call colors that are out there, but he is not in eclipse. He still has the sex feather. That just looks like a nuptial color anyway.
He has pretty good type though and if he looks like this as a young drake, he will get better. Calls improve with age.
Walt
Thanks guys for all the input. I am excited to say the least! I will try to get better pictures this evening.
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