Call

Few domestic ducks are smaller than the Call, which sits in the true bantam class. A grown bird weighs well under a kilogram, and people keep it as an ornamental and companion duck rather than for meat or a heavy laying record. The rounded head, short bill and low, tucked body mark it out clearly from the bigger ducks on a lifestyle block.

What most keepers notice first is the noise. That loud, repeated quack is where the name comes from, and it travels a fair distance, with hens the more persistent callers. The trait served a purpose long ago and now simply makes the bird stand out in a backyard flock. Calls tend to be watchful and curious, reacting fast to any movement or sound close by.

The breed is friendly and playful once settled. Handle the birds regularly while they are young and they grow tame, trailing after their keeper across the yard. They do well in small groups and form clear ties within the flock.

Who it suits

The Call is a good fit for a keeper after a small, characterful duck who can supply clean bathing water. It works poorly where neighbours are close or a noise bylaw applies, because the quack is both loud and frequent. Calls need solid predator protection and should not be kept alone, since they are social birds.

Small, loud ducks came into Europe through the Low Countries, where hunters put them to use, and from there the Call was developed and standardised in the United Kingdom, its recorded origin.

The breed's loud voice is a leftover from that first job. Hunters placed Call ducks on or near water so the constant quacking would pull passing wild ducks in toward nets and, later, guns. The birds were living lures, and a small body with a carrying call suited the work.

Once decoy hunting faded, the Call became an ornamental and show bird. Selection turned to type, small size and colour instead of working ability, and the breed settled into poultry and waterfowl exhibitions, where its short bill and compact outline are judged to a written standard. In New Zealand these birds are shown through Poultry NZ affiliated clubs.

The Call is now kept worldwide as a pet and show duck. Many colour varieties have been bred over the years, and it stays one of the most popular bantam ducks with backyard waterfowl keepers.

Short and compact, the Call sits low to the ground and looks almost round. Its broad, rounded head rides on a short neck, and the stubby bill is one of the surest signs of correct type. Overall the bird reads as a miniature duck built from soft, exaggerated curves.

Shape is much the same in drakes and hens. Drakes carry the curled tail feathers seen across many ducks and tend to show brighter colour in the patterned varieties.

Coat and colours

Dense feathering sheds water well, which the breed relies on for bathing and swimming. The colour range is wide. White Calls are pure white with orange bills and legs, while mallard-patterned birds show a green head and claret breast in drakes and a mottled brown coat in hens. Blue, silver and pied are among the other recognised forms, with the exact list set by the standard used in each country.

Active and sociable, Calls slot into a small flock with little fuss and get on well with other ducks. Given regular gentle handling from the start, they grow tame and confident, walking up to their keeper and following along at feeding time.

Strangers put them on guard, and a bird may keep its distance at first, but real aggression is rare. Keep an eye on them around other pets, because a duck this small is easy prey for dogs, cats and wild predators.

Voice is the trait that defines them. Hens quack loudly and often, most of all when excited, separated from the flock or reacting to something new. It makes for a handy watch bird and a difficult neighbour where noise is a concern.

Grooming is barely a task with Calls, but the daily routine has to be steady. What they need most is clean water, a safe house and protection from predators.

Grooming

• Supply water deep enough for the duck to dip its whole head and rinse its nostrils and eyes.
• Keep bathing water on hand so the bird can preen and spread waterproofing oil through the feathers.
• Look over feet and legs regularly for cuts, swelling or bumblefoot.
• Watch the feathers through the annual moult and keep bedding dry so it does not soil them.

Exercise

• Open a run or yard each day for foraging and swimming.
• Set out a shallow pool or pond for swimming and natural play.
• Keep the flock together, as birds move about more in company.

Environment

Calls handle a range of climates, but they want shade and fresh water in the heat and a dry, draught-free shelter in the cold. Keep bedding dry, and lock the house securely at night against predators.

The base of the diet is a complete waterfowl or poultry feed. Ducklings take a higher-protein starter, growers move onto a grower ration, and adults settle on a maintenance or layer feed depending on whether hens are in lay. Calls are small, so portions stay modest, and any free-choice feeding needs watching to keep weight in check.

Treats and supplements

Leafy greens, peas and a little chopped vegetable work well as treats. Put out insoluble grit so the birds can grind their food, and give laying hens crushed oyster shell or another calcium source for shell quality. Keep treats to a small share of the diet.

Give Calls clean conditions, a balanced diet and predator protection and they prove robust, often reaching the top of the 8 to 12 year range. Most problems come back to poor water hygiene, wet bedding or injury rather than anything in the breed itself.

Preventive care

• Keep drinking and bathing water clean and deep enough for head dipping.
• Keep bedding dry and clean and the shelter well ventilated.
• Provide soft, clean ground or litter to cut bumblefoot risk.
• Give laying hens enough calcium.
• Look birds over regularly for parasites, foot injuries and weight change.

Most backyard setups suit Calls provided there is a safe house and water to bathe in. The shelter needs to be dry, ventilated and lockable at night. A fenced run or a supervised yard gives the birds space to forage and swim during the day. Because the breed is so small, fencing and overhead cover count for more than they would with larger ducks, since Calls are vulnerable to dogs, mustelids 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 area for hot weather.
• A quiet, sheltered corner for nesting hens.

You can hatch Call eggs under a broody duck or hen or in an incubator. Plenty of Call hens go broody and sit as attentive mothers, part of why the breed appeals to small-scale hatchers. Incubation takes roughly 28 days, and steady temperature and humidity do most of the work. The small egg needs a careful hand during turning and candling.

Hatching steps

1. Set clean, undamaged eggs and bring the incubator to a stable temperature first.
2. Turn the eggs several times a day for the first 25 days.
3. Candle around days 7 and 14 to check development and pull 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 shift them to a warm brooder with shallow water and starter feed.