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

[MauiHen]

'Big Duck' here is a couple years old, he used to only have a green head but now has the cool racing stripes. Also any help identifying the female breeds too would be cool. I'm thinking they are pekin mixes... mystery ducks!

 

[MerryMeridional]

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

 

[MerryMeridional]

Here is a pic of my WH drake

 

[MauiHen]

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

I wouldnt say he is molting but last year he had a full green head, it's only this year he is striped. He is pretty big bodied too. Are Welsh's usually a bit on the smaller side?

 

[KathiQuacks]

I wouldn’t jump on Pekin mix personally, as white is a recessive gene. Your girls have blue and black feathers, one with a splotchy, yellow bill and splotchy feet, which is very characteristic of Blue Swedish, or just blue ducks in general. Perhaps they’re a Blue mix of some sort.

I also just found the Blue Ancona duck breed - what do you think? Ancona feather patterns are naturally very random, so it’s not exact to your girls, but could still be a possibility.

Oh, everyone is just gorgeous, by the way!

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

'Big Duck' here is a couple years old, he used to only have a green head but now has the cool racing stripes. Also any help identifying the female breeds too would be cool. I'm thinking they are pekin mixes... mystery ducks!
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He looks a bit like a Silver Appleyard to me! They are large ducks.

 

[MerryMeridional]

I wouldnt say he is molting but last year he had a full green head, it's only this year he is striped. He is pretty big bodied too. Are Welsh's usually a bit on the smaller side?

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 different climate?

I keep mixed ducks too. Cross of my black ducks and the WH drake. My momma duck's eye stripes were faint when she was young but it seems like they are way more vivid and popping in maturity. Maybe something like that happened with your drake.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I was also coming on here to say he looks like a Silver Appleyard drake. He is in eclipse plummage. He should get his green head back soon.

 

[MerryMeridional]

How big is your drake?

I'm not an expert on silver appleyards but he does look more like that to me, too.

 

[Elaine06]

No idea but they are all beauties!