Duck Breed Focus - Welsh Harlequin

[quackingdom]

I would wait until they are mature enough to be mated. However, 2 males to 4 females can be potentially dangerous – they could get “beat up” no matter how old they are. It would be safer with a few more females or only one male (or separate one of the males).

 

[Pyxis]

A couple pictures of my welsh harlequins:

I really love this breed, they are great ducks.

 

[CPF Kate]

I got Welsh Harlequins because I wanted all my animals to be heritage breed, also wanted an active forager, and the be honest...they are pretty! They matured beautifully, and between my WHs, my four khaki campbells, and the two geese I haven't had to mow my yard all summer and I have had zero issues with bugs.

These guys are my first experience with ducks and I made some mistakes - having too many drakes, for example - but overall I get a lot of enjoyment out of them! I have 3 WH ducks and two KC ducks and will get 4 or 5 eggs per day. They started laying at four months large eggs, and now at six months I am getting mostly extra large and jumbo. The double yolkers these girls produce are over three ounces!

 

[lomine]

@Pyxis those are great pictures but I just love the first one. She looks so adorable sleeping.

 

[Wytchlynd]

Is the potential for aggressiveness in Khacki Campbell nature? We just have the three Welsh Harlequins (so far) from the same hatch; two are Drakes and they don't bother their sister at all and while they do act like Peppy le-Pew around their favorite chooks, I wouldn't characterize their activities as "beating up" anyone.

Thanks.

 

[Pyxis]

I've never seen outright aggressiveness. The drake might drive away competitors for food when his females are eating, for example my drake will fend off the juvenile geese if they try to push in and shove his females away from food while they're eating. He will also try to drive off the neighbor's drake when it comes wandering over.

However you should definitely think about adding some more females if that one girl is all you have. While you say yours aren't bothering their sister much, you do mention they are showing interest in your hens, and you do not want that going on. Thanks to anatomical differences, should the drakes ever attempt to mate with your hens, the hens could be seriously injured or even killed.

 

[Wytchlynd]

Thanks Pyxis, we have five duck eggs underneath a broody chook for a week now and hope the results even the gender gap a bit.

 

[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.

 

[N F C]

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.

She certainly is a beauty!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

She certainly is a beauty!

Well thank you once again, I'll let her know too

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