Mare's Illegal Cute-ness (Call Duck) Chat Thread!!

[Painted Calls]

Aside from the hatching issues are there any negative effects the super short bill has? Difficult foraging, higher chance for respiratory issues, anything?

Not that I've ever heard of!

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Not as bad as you’d think. Their main pen gets muddy after a heavy rain, but they forage in my whole yard, and haven’t killed the grass yet. I had 4 Swedish ducks several years ago that totally demolished one area of grass. Surprisingly, the calls aren’t very destructive. Unless you count the holes they dig.

How large is your yard?

 

[Cold-Blood]

Forgive my ignorance, Mare, but what about call ducks is special? Are they rare? Or?

 

[Painted Calls]

Forgive my ignorance, Mare, but what about call ducks is special? Are they rare? Or?

They're the smallest breed of duck.

 

[Cold-Blood]

They're the smallest breed of duck.

Is this what makes them difficult to breed/hatch etc?

 

[WVduckchick]

How large is your yard?

I’m not sure of measurements. This is a view from a camera on my house, of one side of the yard (the majority of the yard). The building is my wood shop, the tin roof is over my chicken pens, the ducks have about 40’ x 80’ netted section on the back side.
I had just let the ducks out, so that’s most of them in the pic. They do go out of my fence too, but hawks are bad now so they go back into their netted area for most of the day.

This is their dirty area that has netting overhead:

 

[Painted Calls]

Is this what makes them difficult to breed/hatch etc?

Their neck and bill length does.

 

[Aunt Angus]

View attachment 3341987
This one is my favourite. So stinkin' cute.

EHRMAGERD!!!! So cute!

Here's my Cheddar when she was a bebe:

Hi everyone! I currently have 58 Call ducks!
Pretty much every color and/or combination possible, I think. Except for white! I lost my white trio last fall. I have 7 ducklings from a September broody hatch, and 6 from 2 October hatches. Lost a few to cold/wet weather this fall, but I had so many broody girls, it got a little too crazy anyway! I also still have 3 flocks of bantam chickens (d’uccles (x2 colors) and seramas) and a group of Satinette pigeons.

A few recent pics of some ducks!
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I am so JEALOUS. I wish I had more. I love chickens. I love large breed ducks. But Calls have become my favorites.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Aside from the hatching issues are there any negative effects the super short bill has? Difficult foraging, higher chance for respiratory issues, anything?

I've heard that because of their small bills and nostrils debris can possibly get caught. Though as long as they have a good water source it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[room onthebroom]

Tiny round burbs of cuteness