Call

The Call is among the smallest of the domestic ducks and is classed as a true bantam. Adults weigh well under a kilogram, and keepers hold the breed as an ornamental and companion bird rather than for meat or heavy egg output. Its compact frame, rounded head and short bill give it a look quite unlike the larger ducks of the farmyard.

Voice is what the breed is known for. The loud, repeated quack behind the name carries a long way, and hens especially keep up a persistent call. That trait once had a working use and today makes the bird hard to ignore in any garden flock. Keepers often find Calls alert and inquisitive, quick to respond to movement and sound nearby.

In temperament the Call is friendly and playful. Birds handled often from a young age grow tame and will follow their keeper about the garden. They settle well in small groups and form clear bonds within the flock.

Who it suits

The Call suits a keeper who wants a small, characterful duck and who can house waterfowl with clean water for bathing. It is a poor match for anyone with close neighbours or noise limits, since the quack is loud and frequent. Calls need protection from predators and should not be kept entirely on their own, being social birds.

The Call duck reached Europe by way of the Low Countries, where hunters valued small, loud ducks. It was later developed and standardised in the United Kingdom, recorded as the breed's origin.

That working past explains the breed's defining feature. Hunters set Call ducks on or beside water so their steady quacking would draw passing wild ducks within reach of nets and, later, guns. The birds worked as living decoys, and their small size and carrying voice fitted them to the job.

As decoy hunting fell away, the Call moved into ornamental and exhibition keeping. Breeders began selecting for type, small size and colour rather than working ability. The Call became a regular sight at poultry and waterfowl shows, where its compact shape and short bill are judged against a written standard. In Ireland such birds appear under Poultry Club of Ireland classes.

Today the Call is kept around the world as a pet and show bird. A range of colour varieties has appeared over time, and it remains one of the most popular bantam ducks among garden waterfowl keepers.

The Call has a short, compact body that sits low and looks almost round. The head is broad and rounded on a short neck, and the bill is short and stubby, one of the clearest marks of correct type. The whole bird reads as a miniature duck of soft, exaggerated curves.

Drakes and hens share the same shape, though drakes carry the curled tail feathers common to many ducks and often show brighter colour in patterned varieties.

Coat and colours

The feathering is dense and sheds water well, which the breed needs for bathing and swimming. Colour varieties run to a long list. White Calls are pure white with orange bills and legs, while mallard-patterned Calls carry the green head and claret breast in drakes and a mottled brown plumage in hens. Other recognised forms take in blue, silver and pied, the exact list depending on the standard in each country.

Calls are sociable and active. They mix easily with other ducks and settle into a small flock without much fuss. Birds reared with regular gentle handling turn tame and confident, often coming up to keepers and following them round the garden at feeding time.

With strangers the breed stays alert and may hold back at first, but it seldom shows aggression. Around other pets, Calls are best watched, since their small size leaves them open to dogs, cats and predators.

The defining habit is voice. Hens quack loudly and often, above all when excited, cut off from the flock or alerting to something new. That makes Calls effective watch birds but a poor choice where noise matters.

Calls ask little in the way of grooming but need steady daily care. Their main needs are clean water, safe shelter and protection from predators.

Grooming

• Give water deep enough for the duck to dip its whole head and clean its nostrils and eyes.
• Allow bathing water so the bird can preen and work waterproofing oil through its feathers.
• Check feet and legs often for cuts, swelling or bumblefoot.
• Look over the feathers during the annual moult and keep bedding dry to avoid soiling.

Exercise

• Allow daily use of a run or garden for foraging and swimming.
• Provide a shallow pool or pond for swimming and natural play.
• Keep the flock together, since birds are more active in company.

Environment

Calls cope with a range of climates but need shade and fresh water in warm weather and a dry, draught-free shelter in the cold. Bedding should stay dry, and the house must be shut securely at night against foxes and other predators.

A complete waterfowl or poultry feed should form the base of the diet. Ducklings need a higher-protein starter, growing birds move to a grower ration, and adults sit on a maintenance or layer feed depending on whether hens are laying. Because Calls are small, portions are modest, and free-choice feeding wants watching to avoid excess weight.

Treats and supplements

Leafy greens, peas and small amounts of chopped vegetables make good treats. Provide insoluble grit so the birds can grind their food, and offer crushed oyster shell or another calcium source to laying hens for shell quality. Treats should stay a small part of the diet.

With clean conditions, a balanced diet and predator protection, Calls are robust and often reach the upper end of the 8 to 12 year span. Most trouble traces back to poor water hygiene, wet bedding or injury rather than to the breed.

Preventive care

• Keep drinking and bathing water clean and deep enough for head dipping.
• Hold bedding dry and clean and the shelter well ventilated.
• Give soft, clean ground or litter to lower bumblefoot risk.
• Supply enough calcium to laying hens.
• Check birds often for parasites, foot injuries and weight change.

Calls fit most garden setups as long as they have a safe house and water for bathing. The shelter should be dry, ventilated and lockable at night. A fenced run or watched garden gives them room to forage and swim by day. Because the breed is so small, fencing and overhead cover matter more than for larger ducks, since Calls fall easy prey to foxes, dogs and birds of prey.

Setup checklist

• Lockable, dry, ventilated night shelter.
• Fenced run with overhead cover or netting where birds of prey are about.
• Shallow pool or pond plus separate clean drinking water.
• Dry bedding and a shaded spot for warm weather.
• A quiet, sheltered corner for nesting hens.

Call eggs can be hatched under a broody duck or hen or in an incubator. Many Call hens go broody and make attentive mothers, one reason the breed suits small-scale hatchers. Incubation runs to roughly 28 days, with steady temperature and humidity the main factors for success. The small egg calls for careful handling during turning and candling.

Hatching steps

1. Set clean, undamaged eggs and bring the incubator to a stable temperature first.
2. Turn eggs several times a day for the first 25 days.
3. Candle around days 7 and 14 to check development and remove clear or non-viable eggs.
4. Stop turning about 3 days before the due date and raise humidity for hatching.
5. Leave ducklings in the warm incubator until dry and fluffed, then move them to a warm brooder with shallow water and starter feed.