Silver Apricot Call Ducks

[MattL]

I aquired a pair of Silver Apricot Call Ducks thanks to Jerry Foley and would liek some more information about them. History, breeding tips, etc. Anything is appreciatied!
MattL

[Pathfinders]

I don't know anything about them other than they were adorable!

[Evy]

Aren't they the British name for a badly colored Pastel / Snowy cross ? That's what the photos in the Call Varities booklet look like.

[MattL]

I got some feelers out for some more info, Evy, I do know they are sports from the Butterscotch and my guess some kind of Blue dilute or derivative. Just loved the color on the little devils and I wanted to get back into Call ducks without taking a second mortgage out on the house.
MattL

[Evy]

I got some feelers out for some more info, Evy, I do know they are sports from the Butterscotch and my guess some kind of Blue dilute or derivative. Just loved the color on the little devils and I wanted to get back into Call ducks without taking a second mortgage out on the house.
MattL

You're right about the ridiculous prices. I sold some birds over the weekend & figure I didn't ask enough...no one even blinked! LOL
I saw a couple females at the show that were entered as Butters that looked like the photo in the handbook...no eyestripe at all, very pale color. You are most likely right about the origin.

[Hummer]

Matt, The 'Silver Apricots' are very similar to Butterscotch in this country. The Silver Apricot drakes are very similar to Butterscotch drakes. The color of the hens is where you see more of a difference. The Silver Apricot hens lack the eye streaks and have a lighter base color than Butterscotch hens. I won't attempt a long diatribe on the genetics this morning since I am still on jetlag from Ventura!!!! LOL. Here is a little bit of information on the background of Silver Apricots from the British Call duck website.

http://www.callducks.net/apsilv.htm

Hummer

[MattL]

Thanks Steve, that helps a bunch.
MattL

[Brice]

hey guys.....

Have not posted in awhile, but thought i would jump in here about the apricot silvers.....

First of all... the Butterscotch is a double blue dilution(pastel shade) of the appleyard color pattern...

The silver apricot is the double blue dilution(pastel shade) of a snowy pattern....

Now with almost all families of butters, you will get ap-silvers hatched out here and there.... I attribute that to the original beginning of the butters when they were crossed from pastels and who knows what exactly...
So basically all the butters in the US must have some snowy genes behind them some where that is hiding behind their appleyard pattern that shows. And when you breed enough of them, then pop up... They are a really neat color of duck! I wish i had more room when i had the ducks, but i just didnt have room to get another variety going....

So really.. the ap-silvers could be called "pastel snowy" but the UK already has a name for them, so thats why the name stuck here on this color......


When breeding for the ap-silvers you want the males to have a yellow/orange bill which really does stand out against the color as all other colors of blue diluted calls have a tan/brown/greenish shade to thier bills. Also the males are a noticeably lighter color than butter males. the females are mostly white on thier bodies with coloring on thier backs.. they also have a solid head and neck color of a tanish brown.


Brice Wonders
www.wonderswaterfowl.com (http://www.wonderswaterfowl.com)

[MattL]

Thanks Brice, you were on my list, run me down at Columbus so we can chat!
MattL