Barnyard BreedsOld farm breeds, in the words of the old books

Duck · breed notes

Call Duck

The Call is the bantam of the duck world, a small, round-headed bird that comes in two colours, Gray and White. Below is what two early books on ducks say about it, quoted line by line. Neither gives it a standard weight, and the two books draw its body shape differently.

Where it comes from

Neither book's Call section gives a place or a date of origin. What they give is a classification. Howard calls the Call ducks bantams, kept more for the fancy, and says there are two kinds, the Gray Call and the White Call. He adds that it is only a choice of plumage which is the better of the two, since the two are alike in size, shape and habits. Lamon and Slocum repeat the two varieties and list the Call as one of the breeds that divides into more than one variety.

  • Call ducks are bantams, and are bred more for the fancyHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • it is only a choice of plumage as to which is the better of the twoHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
More from the books (1)

Both books are plain about what the Call is for. Howard says its uses are only for the showroom or as decoy ducks for wild-duck shooting, and that a cross with the wild Mallard is considered excellent for its tameness. Lamon and Slocum file the Call in what they call the ornamental class, together with the Black East India and the Crested White duck.

  • Their uses are only for the showroom, or as decoy ducks for wild-duck shooting.Howard, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • kept and bred principally for ornamental purposesLamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
More from the books (1)
  • the progeny being distinguished for tameness and domesticityHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management

How to recognise one

The head is the signature. Howard describes it as full and round with a short, broad bill, and a short, round, compact body. Lamon and Slocum call the Call practically a miniature Pekin, with the difference in the head and bill: very short and rather broad. They add that the flat, short bill and round head give an appearance often called button headed, and they ask for a flatiron body, broad at the shoulders and tapering toward the tail. Arched backs, too deep a keel, narrow shoulders and too long a bill are the faults to avoid.

  • The head of the Call duck is full and round; bill, short and broadHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • In type the Calls are practically miniature Pekins except that they should have a very short, rather broad head and bill.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
More from the books (2)
  • an appearance which is often described by the term "button headed"Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
  • Too deep keels and narrow shoulders should be avoided as should also too long bills.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

The Gray Call is dressed like a Rouen. Howard calls the drake a beautiful little bird, with a lustrous green head and a white ring low on the neck as in the Rouen, and the duck has the Rouen duck's pale stripes on a deep brown head. Lamon and Slocum say its plumage is practically the Rouen's, though the Gray Call is not quite as good in color as a breed. They warn against white in the flights and under the wings, and against a female with no wing bar. They also say the color is likely to fade with age but is usually higher again after the moult.

  • The Gray Call drake is a beautiful little bird, with a rich, lustrous green headHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • The duck's head is deep brown, and has two pale-brown stripes on each side, like the head of the Rouen duckHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • The plumage of the Gray Call is practically that of the Rouen although they are not quite as good in color as a breed.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
More from the books (1)
  • The color of the plumage is likely to fade with age but after the birds moult and secure their new plumage, the color is usually higher again.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

The White Call is the same bird in white. Howard says it is pure white in plumage throughout, that feathers of any other color disqualify it, and that it is in every respect like the Gray Call except for plumage, eye color (gray or blue) and shanks (a bright orange). Lamon and Slocum call it, in type and color, practically a miniature Pekin except for the short, rather broad head and bill, and say it breeds very true in color and should be free from creaminess.

  • pure white in plumage throughout, and feathers of any other color will disqualify itHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • They breed very true in color and should be free from creaminess.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
More from the books (1)
  • the color of the eyes, which are a gray or blue, and the color of the shanks, which are a bright orangeHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management

Temperament and habits

The main concern with the Call is keeping it small. Howard says smallness of size is the first consideration when breeding Calls, and that the smaller they are bred the better. Lamon and Slocum say there is always a tendency for them to grow too large, and that breeders should choose the smallest suitable individuals to keep the size down. Lamon and Slocum give no standard weight but say the drakes will weigh from 2-1/2 to 3 pounds and the ducks from 2 to 2-1/2 pounds.

  • smallness of size is the first consideration; the smaller they are bred the betterHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
  • There is always a tendency for them to grow too largeLamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
  • The drakes will weigh from 2-1/2 to 3 pounds and the ducks from 2 to 2-1/2 pounds.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
More from the books (1)
  • the smallest individuals which are suitable in other respects for breeders, should be selected in order to keep down the sizeLamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

Unlike most of the duck breeds, the Call is a sitter. Lamon and Slocum name the Muscovy, the Call and the Black East India as the broody breeds, and say the ducks of these breeds make their nests, hatch their eggs and are good mothers. Howard does not describe sitting in his Call section.

  • The Muscovy, the Call and the Black East India ducks are broody breeds.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese
  • The ducks of these breeds will make their nests, hatch their eggs and are good mothers.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

Lamon and Slocum also treat the Call as a bird that can get away. They say Call ducks, together with East Indias and Mallards, should have their wings clipped or be pinioned, meaning that the first joint of one wing is cut off, to stop them flying away. Howard's Call section does not mention flight.

  • should have their wings clipped or be pinioned, that is, have the first joint of one wing cut off, to prevent them from flying away.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

The two varieties side by side

PointGray CallWhite Call
PlumageVery similar to the Rouen“The Gray Call is very similar in color of plumage to the Rouen” (Howard, 1897)Pure white throughout“pure white in plumage throughout” (Howard, 1897)
NicknameThe Bantam Rouen“is indeed called by many the Bantam Rouen” (Howard, 1897)The Bantam Pekin“the White is generally called the Bantam Pekin” (Howard, 1897)
Type and colourPractically the Rouen's, not quite as good in color as a breed“they are not quite as good in color as a breed” (Lamon & Slocum, 1922)Practically a miniature Pekin“This variety is, both in type and color, practically a miniature Pekin” (Lamon & Slocum, 1922)
EyesDark hazel or brown“dark-hazel or brown eyes” (Howard, 1897)Gray or blue“the color of the eyes, which are a gray or blue” (Howard, 1897)
Shanks, toes, websOrange with a brownish tinge“shanks, toes, and webs are orange, with a brownish tinge” (Howard, 1897)A bright orange“the color of the shanks, which are a bright orange” (Howard, 1897)
Show faultWhite in the flights and under the wings“White in the flights and under the wings must be guarded against” (Lamon & Slocum, 1922)Feathers of any other color“feathers of any other color will disqualify it” (Howard, 1897)
Colour over timeLikely to fade with age“The color of the plumage is likely to fade with age” (Lamon & Slocum, 1922)Breeds very true in color“They breed very true in color” (Lamon & Slocum, 1922)

No standard weight

Neither book prints a show standard for the Call, so there is no table. Lamon and Slocum say only that these are bantam ducks, and give a rough weight for drakes and ducks in the same passage, which is not a standard.

As printed in Howard, 1897: No standard weight is given for Call ducks.

As printed in Lamon & Slocum, 1922: There are no standard weights for the Call duck and for the Black East India duck but these are all small in size, being really bantam ducks.

Where the two books disagree

Both books want a small, round-headed bird, but they do not draw the body the same way. Howard describes a short, round and compact body. Lamon and Slocum ask for what they call a flatiron shape, broad at the shoulders and tapering toward the tail. Neither book comments on the other.

body short, round, and compactHoward, 1897, Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
The body should have what is known as a flatiron shape, that is, should be broad at the shoulders and taper toward the tail.Lamon & Slocum, 1922, Ducks and Geese

Questions readers ask

Is there a standard weight for the Call duck?

No, in either book. Howard says no standard weight is given for Call ducks, and Lamon and Slocum say there are no standard weights for the Call duck and for the Black East India duck, which are all small in size, being really bantam ducks. Lamon and Slocum add that the drakes will weigh from 2-1/2 to 3 pounds and the ducks from 2 to 2-1/2 pounds.

What is the difference between the Gray Call and the White Call?

Colour, mainly. Howard says the two kinds are both of one character as to size, shape and habits and differ only as regards color. The Gray Call is very similar in color to the Rouen and is called by many the Bantam Rouen, and the White is generally called the Bantam Pekin. Lamon and Slocum say the same: the Gray Call's plumage is practically the Rouen's, and the White Call is practically a miniature Pekin except for the head and bill.

Why is it called the Call duck?

Neither book says. The word call appears in them only as the breed name, or in unrelated phrases such as "call for".

Can Call ducks fly?

Lamon and Slocum say Call ducks, together with East Indias and Mallards, should have their wings clipped or be pinioned to prevent them from flying away. Howard's Call section does not mention flight.

What were Call ducks used for?

Show and decoy work, in Howard's words. He says their uses are only for the showroom or as decoy ducks for wild-duck shooting. Lamon and Slocum put the Call in the ornamental class of ducks kept and bred principally for ornamental purposes.

The books quoted here