What color are these call ducks?

[ElizabethinNY]

I'm not an expert on Call Ducks, and I know that these guys are nowhere near breed standard by any means (offspring of my own backyard pet call ducks) but I was wondering what color I should call them? They are both 7 weeks old in this picture and are both girls. Their wing bars are coming in either dark grey or blue; I can't tell yet. The duck in the background is Mary and the duck in the foreground is Pearl. They move around a lot and are hard to photograph! I also have another male call from this breeding, and he's all white with dark feathers in a V at his rump and a few black spots on his head.


Pearl and Mary by elizabeth's*whimsies, on Flickr

Here's the little boy, Nathaniel (I think he's a boy; if not the name will be Gwendolyn):


Nathaniel by elizabeth's*whimsies, on Flickr

The mallard colored boy in the background is a male mallard-call cross.

He was an oops. He has a twin oops brother, too, but their mother loves them so and they're cute so we might keep them. They are named Charlie and Edward.

 

[dianaross77]

I don't know what color it's called but its pretty.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable! There are some call specialists on here one is easttxchick. she shows and raises calls might ask her.

 

[ElizabethinNY]

Thanks. I suppose they could just be no specific color, since they're mixed, anyway. I wonder what their adult plumage will look like?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

being mixed, no they arent one specific color, just have to call them what they are, mixed calls. Very pretty birds.
Your Mary is a Mark though, thinking the one in the foreground may be too, hard to see it's bill.

Unless they are quacking loud or you have vent sexed them, I wouldnt be surprised if they both end up being boys. Look to have the makings of a green head coming in (similar to snowys will be the over all color) which is a male trait. Also with the exception of solid colors like black, chocolate and whites, males are usually the only ones with solid colored bills hens will be mottle billed.

Have more of a mini silver appleyard build to them than a call duck actually.

Whatever they end up being, they'll be pretty, never seen an ugly duck

 

[ElizabethinNY]

Thanks for the information.

They are both quacking very loudly and the other three from the group are making boy noises so they provide a good contrast. The color in the photo might be off; they both have black feathers on their heads. My two same-aged Mallard cross males are definitely getting very green heads, also providing good contrast.

This is Mary from a week prior (when she was 6 weeks old):


Checkers by elizabeth's*whimsies, on Flickr

I'll have to go look at the bill on the one I think is a boy (the mostly white one). He has not quacked yet and sounds very much like the Mallard males.

I looked up Mini Silver Appleyards and they are BEAUTIFUL!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

if they are quacking loud, then they should be girls then. Mary just sure has a lot of male look to her, black pattern developing around the tail, the head color (doesnt have to be green really just the patterns matters) and bill color being solid.

Might just end up being a really pretty hen though.

Yep, the mini appleyards are beautiful, just got a group of 7 myself. They and snowy calls are very similar in color pattern.

Ol Mary looks similar to their pattern at that age, she should end up being very close to what they look like.

Keep us posted as they grow, I'm curious to see what she turns out to be color and sex wise now.

 

[ElizabethinNY]

Thanks again! I'll definitely keep you posted. I'll go pick Mary up again sometime this weekend and make sure she's quacking. Pearl definitely is--she let out a very good one today when I arrived with watermelon.

 

[PitterPaws]

Don't know what color they would be called, But they sure are pretty!!

 

[ElizabethinNY]

Boggy Bottoms Bantams, I think you are right. I think Mary is a Mark! I'll give him/her a little more time to mature, but I just went out and scooped him/her up and there was no loud quacking! There was a lot of boy-sounding noises!!! That makes 4 out of 5 of this group that hatched BOYS! Anyone want a drake? Pearl is definitely a girl, though. I have now two call duck drakes and two half-mallard half-call drakes. Good grief. I think there will be re-homing in our future.