Duck Breed Focus - Welsh Harlequin

[sumi]

The Welsh Harlequin duck was created by Group Captain Leslie Bonnet who discovered a colour mutation among his flock of Khaki Campbells at his house in Hertfordshire in 1949. Bonnet began breeding selectively for the trait and he first named them Honey Campbells. This was later changed to Welsh Harlequins when Bonnet moved to a farm in North Wales around 1950 with his family. Bonnet claims in his 1960’s book “Practical Duck Keeping” that a flock would lay on average over 300 eggs per duck, per year.
Tragically, in 1968, a fox destroyed most of Bonnet’s flock of Welsh Harlequins but another breeder, Eddie Grayson, who had some of the original Welsh Harlequins, crossed them with the original strain of Khaki Campbells, reviving the breed and stabilising the colour form.
The Welsh Harlequin was first admitted to the British Standards in 1997 and the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection in 2001.
Breed Details:

Weight classification: Lightweight breed.
Purpose: Dual purpose. Great egg layer. Plucks clean.
Brooding: Welsh Harlequin hens will brood their own eggs.
Eggs/year: 300+
Colour: Silver Phase <p> Gold Phase


Pic by @duck&chickencrazy


Pic by @richie1


Pic by @Theeggboxtoo


Pic by @Wifezilla


Pic by @Zombified

BYC Reviews:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/welsh-harlequin

Breed Discussions:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/124541/welsh-harlequin/0_30

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...breeding-or-want-to-breed-their-whs-talk/0_30

Do you own Welsh Harlequins? Are you a Welsh Harlequin breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

 

[Lozuufy]

Here's some pics of my welsh harlequin ducklings/ducks, they haven't started laying yet but the males are getting their adult feathers now so hopefully it won't be long. They are awesome ducks, mine are completely unafraid of humans and LOVE treats. Also in the morning they will all suddenly quack at the same time and it sounds like they are laughing which usually gets us laughing because it sounds so funny.

 

[lomine]

I am new to ducks and picked the WH for my first breed because they are supposed to be calm. I also think they are beautiful. I have them mostly for pets but the eggs will be a bonus. I adore my girls.

 

[Pyxis]

A couple pictures of my welsh harlequins:

I really love this breed, they are great ducks.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Great duck! My WH, Rhiannon, is the calmest duck I have ever seen, she mostly avoids the flock politics and is fairly high in the pecking order, but bows to her superiors and is strong enough that those below her don't challenge her. I can climb out of the dome and set my foot down 8" away from her when she's laying down and about 80% of the time, she won't get up... She'll just watch - very calm. She takes very good care of her plumage so is tied with my Black Swedish for second softest in the flock (nobody is softer than Tevye). And although her main color is fairly bland, her markings are beautiful and her speculum feathers are spectacular - bigger and brighter than any of my other ducks. She is definitely the most beautiful duck in my flock.


Here she is catching a standing nap.

 

[maruadventurer]

WH will be smaller in frame than the appleyard. Plumage will have a slightly lighter tint. No not related. WH came from a mutated line of khaki campbells.

 

[Duckie doodle]

My Welsh Harlequins. 5 month old duck, 1 year old drake.

 

[windyridgefarm]

I have had them for a few years now and prefer them over any of the other ducks I have had. Yes, they are laying machines rarely missing a day til well into the fall and start up again in early spring. Have some hatching in a few days for a friend. They are so cute when they are little cant wait.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Glad there's a breed focus on this breed because they're one of the breeds I want when I get ducks.

 

[Kino]

@Wytchlynd , your Welsh Ducks are simply beautiful! They definitely have matured. Good luck with them, they're amazing.