One of the traditional summer highlights in our rural county has always been the County Fair.  For a week in July one of our sleepy little towns becomes a center of activity.  Up over the hill, and the first sight is always the Ferris Wheel; there are carnival rides for the very young as well as the very brave. The sounds come next: the loudspeakers from the grandstand, the music, the barkers calling out challenges to passersby and cows mooing in answer. And then the smells of fried foods, candies blended with animals and a bit of diesel fuel from the tractors—all mixed together with dust from the fairway –or mud if it’s a rainy year! There’s just something exciting about a County Fair!

For the most part, our fair is an agricultural fair reflecting the interests of this area.  There’s a section of antique steam equipment as well as displays of the newest tractors and lawn mowers.  There are buildings housing fire equipment and memorabilia, conservation exhibits and maple syrup production demonstrations.  Just as has been done for over a hundred years, ladies exhibit their hand-sewn quilts and woven items; their sparkling canned jams and jellies; their finest crocheted doilies and embroidered wall hangings.  Gardeners vie for the largest vegetables and, in the 4-H building youngsters show off their accomplishments and practice public speaking skills while teaching others.

I always make a quick run through most of the buildings and then head to my favorite area—the barns!  I admire the sheep and goats.  The pigs make me laugh—they are always scrubbed so clean and usually have their heads resting on another pig as they snore away in their pens.  Sometimes a child preparing for his first time in a show ring is bathing a cow; often animals are being led around the ring by nervous youngsters anxious to display their livestock in the very best way.  There are stalls holding enormous farm horses and cages of small bunnies,…and of course –poultry!

I thought others might be interested in the prize-winning poultry.  So, last week at our County Fair, I spoke to Michele Erway, the Superintendent of the “Rabbit, Goat and Poultry” Barn. The exhibitors are 4-Her’s, sometimes part of a club and other times individual members.  A poultry expert, often someone from a neighboring county, judges the animals and their handlers.  Mrs. Erway explained that the 2012 Grand Champion, Poultry Division, shown by Tyler Cline for his brother Teven, turned out to be – a duck!

Call Duckling!

Teven Cline talked to me a bit about his prize winning Call Duck, “Donald” and showed me a very sweet duckling, too.  I learned that Call Ducks were originally used as decoy ducks to “call in” wild ducks to hunters.  A sign in the duck pen noted that Call Ducks make great pets—as long as you don’t mind how loud they quack!

I decided I needed to know more about these small ducks, so when I came home I did some research.  First of all, I discovered that Call Ducks are Britain’s most popular pet duck!  They are sometimes referred to as bantams or “coys” –the last because they were used as decoys.

According to the website www.callducks.net,  “…early decoy ducks were in fact little different from mallards, being decoys by training and performance rather than looks. Two key characteristics led to their modern development: they had to be highly vocal (hence ‘call’ ducks) to attract the wild ducks, and they had to be small and thus easy to carry. “

Call Ducks should have a fairly large, round head, with a wide broad bill, alert eyes and full cheeks.  Drakes should weigh up to 1 ½ pounds and females about 1 pound.  (They’re really not very big!) Their legs are short, their bodies full and compact and tails should be carried almost level with their bodies.

Teven Cline and his Grand Champion Call Duck, Donald

These little ducks were standardized first in Britain, although they may have come from Japan originally.  They were often listed as “ornamental ducks” in poultry competitions,.  Several colors are recognized officially, and in fact the Cline brothers were exhibiting three or four colors of Call Ducks at our County Fair, but Donald C. Duck the Grand Prize Winner is white.

I learned, too, that since Call Ducks are the smallest breed of domesticated duck, they are quite easy to keep—they are inexpensive to feed and they need only bowls of water to drink. A small pool is fine for them to bathe in, although I would think any duck would like its own pond!  These little ducks are said to be companionable, friendly and great for children.  I noted a word of caution, though: “A word of warning – your coffee breaks etc. will tend to lengthen if spent watching the ducks, as they become compulsive entertainment. “

If you’re interested in breeding or raising these ducks, the NCBA (National Call Breeders of America) lists shows, standards and resources on their website www.callducks.org.  Your local Cooperative Extension Service might well have information, too.

As for me—every year I come home from the Fair all enthused about another type of animal or breed of poultry.  This year, I’m enamored with Call Ducks!