Call Duck

[Hometime Quacks]

Hello,

We have a 3 month old mallard call duck drake and apricot female. Does anyone know what breed of ducklings we will get if we breed from these ducks in a few months time?

 

[Marigold]

Hi Hometime Quacks and welcome to the Forum.
If you breed from these ducks, you will just get crossbred ducklings, no particular breed at all. If you do want to breed it would be best to get birds of the same breed, rather than just breeding a mixture which won't have the characteristics of either sort.
I don't think your young birds will breed this year, in any case. Maybe by next Spring you will be able to plan for ducklings, but do remember that they need a lot of space and are very messy, so it would be best to ensure you get ducklings that you could more easily find homes for, if they turned out to be more than you could properly manage to keep.

 

[Hometime Quacks]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, very useful and informative.

 

[Marigold]

I'm sorry, I think I replied to this without reading it carefully enough, I thought you meant you had a mallard drake and a call duck, which would of course have been rather an undesirable cross of breeds. I think possibly what you meant to ask was what colour would the ducklings be, if you crossed a mallard call with an apricot, rather than what breed, is that right? If both parents were call ducks then of course the ducklings would be that breed, too.

 

[Hometime Quacks]

Yes they are both pure calls, an apricot female and mallard drake, also have a white call drake, so could pair her off with either.

 

[Marigold]

They sound lovely. Could you post some pics for us to enjoy?
Take care that she's not overwhelmed by the attentions of two drakes - the usual ratio is about one drake to 2-4 ducks.

 

[Hometime Quacks]

Image of our 8 week old White and Mallard call drakes.

 

[Marigold]

That's a beautiful picture, what lovely ducks. I think that one would make a wonderful greetings card.