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  1. MerryMeridional

    CoParenting?

    I had a pair of ducks try to both sit on and raise a nest of babies. It ended up with them trampling the babies. Several died. I had to remove one mom and let one do the job. After that it went fine.
  2. MerryMeridional

    Indian Runner still has not had full molt

    This was what I was thinking when I saw the photo. The raggedy flight feathers look like the girls that were getting harassed by the drake in my flock. He would not leave them alone and I think they were just not getting enough protein to keep up with the harassment, chasing, mating. It never...
  3. MerryMeridional

    What drakes should i keep?

    What is the purpose of keeping a drake for you? Do you want to breed your ducks? Is there a drake who is friendlier to you or the flock? I would keep one. I've tried keeping two with more hens than you have and it's terrible. They compete and it's worse than 2x the mating, it's like 4x the...
  4. MerryMeridional

    Breed help: Is this male a silver welsh harlequin? Or a mix that looks like it?

    How big is your drake? I'm not an expert on silver appleyards but he does look more like that to me, too.
  5. MerryMeridional

    Breed help: Is this male a silver welsh harlequin? Or a mix that looks like it?

    Yes, WH are on the smaller side. I don't know the exact weight on mine but he's a well bred duck and probably average. 6lbs or so. Mine has a greyish head when he is between molts. That's called eclipse plumage. My drake already molted in the late fall/end of summer but perhaps you are in a...
  6. MerryMeridional

    Breed help: Is this male a silver welsh harlequin? Or a mix that looks like it?

    Here is a pic of my WH drake
  7. MerryMeridional

    Breed help: Is this male a silver welsh harlequin? Or a mix that looks like it?

    That is not a pure Welsh harlequin. The eye stripes are the biggest clue there. Is he between molts?
  8. MerryMeridional

    Not again 😣

    Me too. I have only hatched a few clutches with my flock and in the second to last brood, there was a sick baby with no nares. There were small indentations but no holes. It could not eat or breath properly and had to be culled. Not my favorite day in memory, by far...
  9. MerryMeridional

    Should I have an all drake flock or add female ducks?

    I have problems with my drake all the time. He has a kennel and a pen for time out. If I had the land to free range, it would probably be a lot better. I have a drake, 9 ducks, and 3 teenagers. The drake is a real jerk.
  10. MerryMeridional

    Welsh Harlequin Male ducklings?

    It looks like their bills have lightened to an olive color, which would mean they are all males. 2 have rust and colors consistent with male. The thirds colors are coming in less distinctly male but the bill gives it away. That third drake also has a dark head coming in under those baby feathers.
  11. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    Just wanted to share a few pictures to show how their colors were coming in. I am trying to figure out where the yellow bill originated from.
  12. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    Would the faded to purple brown color on that 2nd generation drake be dusky, or diluted black? I've noticed a couple of the mixed ducks look a little brown and I'm trying to figure out what gene is being expressed or affected by another. Thanks for all your help. For mostly reading about...
  13. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    I had another black duck x WH cross who was a black drake with brown barring on his chest and a dark green head. He was so pretty. Do you think the brown chest barring was bibbing or a "claret breast"? Isn't eye barring a fault in WHs? I got mine from Holderread. I read in another post, they...
  14. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    The excitement is similar to how I feel about all the different cultivars of tomato I grow. On the genetics link, what would a silver phase WH be considered? According to the color genetics article I read, a silver phase WH is actually snowy type, but that doesn't seem right on the results. The...
  15. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    Thank you for the explanation. What you say tracks. I have 3 of the black duck x WH crosses. One is exceptionally tiny and all black, one is all black with some faint speculum bluing and a single white chest feather, and the third is momma duck shown in the picture of my OP. My first idea about...
  16. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    Also, could the color difference of the one light duckling be sex linked? The sex linked bill color at hatch is supposed to fade.
  17. MerryMeridional

    Welsh harlequin color genetics

    Hi all. I keep a mixed flock with Welsh harlequin ducks, one WH drake, and some black ducks that were sold to me as black Indian runner, but are not. They might be Cayuga/runner mix and are excellent layers and foragers. I also have 3 ducks that are the cross of the origin black ducks and my WH...
  18. MerryMeridional

    Getting rid of birds, adding others.

    Breeding season is more about the males. You don't have any males yet and the dynamic is waaaay different with a male. It is with ducks, at least.
  19. MerryMeridional

    How many duck eggs did you get today?

    8 duck eggs
  20. MerryMeridional

    Using Duck Aquaponics to filter pond water and produce duck feed?

    When I was looking for info about food safety grown with duck poo water, I found that very little if any (depends on the plant) is taken up by the roots and internalized into the fruit of the plant. Most of the pathogens that make us sick are on the surface of the produce and is not washed off...
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