Thinking about getting a call duck....

[silkiechickens8]

Hi
So I heard about call ducks a while ago, but just recently looked them up. They are the cutest little things! I have two ducklings right now (1 Welsh Harlequin and 1 Blue Swedish) and am maybe considering getting a call duck. What do people use them for? Meat? Show? Pets? I would never eat them if I got one but am just curious. Any info on call ducks would be appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[Amiga]

There is a Cute and Cuddly Call Duck thread - perhaps you can check in over there.

 

[Amykins]

YAY CALL DUCKS!! <3 For starters, calls are a purely ornamental breed, They're too small and slow-growing for meat, and they're lousy at laying eggs, and their original function has been outlawed, so they only exist to be adorable and snuggly. And they're very good at both.

However, you do have to factor in noise. Females are VERY loud, and although males aren't, they are still extremely vocal. Wobbles is constantly rasping at me, it's quite endearing! Also if you only plan on getting one, I'd rethink that. WH and Blue Swedish ducks are very large, and your little call could get badly injured if they get into a squabble! If you get at least a pair, I think that'd be ideal; they may still occasionally be chased by an ornery drake but they'd have each other.

 

[silkiechickens8]

Thanks!! I am going to look into it more before I go out and buy one. If I did get a call duck I would probably get two. Thanks again!! It helped a lot!!

 

[Amykins]

If you can handle the noise, they're the best around! I'm in love with calls, they're so dang cute and full of personality. <3 Best of luck, no matter what you decide, and I hope to see some pics of your other duckies sometime!

 

[buff goose guy]

Hi
So I heard about call ducks a while ago, but just recently looked them up. They are the cutest little things! I have two ducklings right now (1 Welsh Harlequin and 1 Blue Swedish) and am maybe considering getting a call duck. What do people use them for? Meat? Show? Pets? I would never eat them if I got one but am just curious. Any info on call ducks would be appreciated! Thanks!!

call ducks are so small that those ducks will look like geese compared to it so be prepaired for that

i thought they were just slightly smaller than a mallard , No. they are like soo much smaller than even the smallest mallard.

 

[Amykins]

call ducks are so small that those ducks will look like geese compared to it so be prepaired for that

i thought they were just slightly smaller than a mallard , No. they are like soo much smaller than even the smallest mallard.

The best quality ones are about the size of a pigeon, topping out at just one pound. It's so weird seeing other duck breeds now, we visited a friend who has a Pekin named George and he was gigantic! He never seemed that big to us before we had calls!

 

[Mrs.H]

The best quality ones are about the size of a pigeon, topping out at just one pound. It's so weird seeing other duck breeds now, we visited a friend who has a Pekin named George and he was gigantic! He never seemed that big to us before we had calls!

I had no idea they were that small wow!

 

[needlessjunk]

The best quality ones are about the size of a pigeon, topping out at just one pound. It's so weird seeing other duck breeds now, we visited a friend who has a Pekin named George and he was gigantic! He never seemed that big to us before we had calls!

I had no idea they were so small. That is tiny! I thought my girls were small at 4lbs.

 

[Amykins]

I had no idea they were so small. That is tiny! I thought my girls were small at 4lbs.

I got real lucky with Wobbles; he's excellent quality, even for a duck hatched from a show-quality line. That's why we thought he was a girl for the longest time, girls can be as low as 1 pound on the dot, males usually start at 1 1/4! There's nothing wrong with bigger calls though, I wouldn't give up my Bean for anything in the world <3 Actually if I could do it all over again I think I'd prefer it. It's hard to discipline Wobs or change his diaper when he's so small and fragile.