Magpie Calls
Magpie Calls
I first got into the Black and White Magpie Calls, because I remembered the call ducks that I raised as a kid and thought it would be great to have some that looked just like my standard Magpie ducks. They are my favorite color of calls and the main focus of my entire breeding flock. It is my hope that in the next ten years I can be instrumental in seeing the day that this color beats a white or grey for Best of Breed or better yet, Champion Waterfowl. I believe that one of the reasons that this color lost so much popularity after its standardization is that it is very difficult to produce a perfectly marked bird. A breeder would be lucky to hatch 100 ducklings and get 5 well marked ducklings. This isn't to say out of that 100 that you won't get a lot of good breeders, but the ones that you can put on the show floor will be few. Nevertheless, I feel that it is one of the most stunning colors in the duck world and is worthy of my dedication. This is the color that I produce the most of and I have stock available most times during the spring and summer, so if you would like to try raising this color let me know.
Magpie Call Description
B&W Magpie Male
Head: White with a black cap that covers the crown down to the eyes, but not below them
Eyes: Brown
Bill: Yellowish Green
Neck, Breast, & wings: White
Back: Black all the way through to, and including the tail, Preferably with clear delination to the pattern
Body & Stern: White
Shanks & Toes: orange with dusky gray shading
B & W Magpie Female
Same as above except bill color in a female should be a yellowish orange.
Defects
-Rust colored lacing
-White bleeding into colored areas or color bleeding into white areas
-Cap descending below the eye
Disqualifications
-Lack of black on back or crown
-Plumage more than 80% white
-Plumage more than 50% black
2006 Pullet
2006 Drake
My general breeding practice when trying to breed a well marked Magpie Call is to breed a standard marked drake, like this one, to a duck with too much black, in order to produce well marked daughters. In order to produce well marked sons, I reverse the patterns and sexes.