Finally! Pics of my Welsh Harlequins

[CityChicker]

Okay, I finally had a digital camera work long enough to take some pics of the WH while we had them out to clean their run. LOL, hopefully, this works since I am not sure how to paste photos...

Here is one of the group...

Here is one of the Silver drakes...

Two of the lighter colored Gold ducks...

Two light Gold ducks in foreground, one of the darker Gold hooded ducks in background...

Side by side, Gold drake and Silver Drake (silver on right)...

 

[Emzyyy]

ohh gorgeous ducks we went to run today at the park and these huge white geese attacked one of my friends while she was running and I told her if they chase you "Walk away facing them, showing your back shows you submiting to them."

 

[CityChicker]

LOL, that is geese for you! They can be cantankerous.

Since it looks like the pics posted... I am fairly positive of the difference between the Gold and Silver at this point. It looks like some of us were backwards with what we thought were the colors. It seems that the ones that are darker as ducklings are the silvers, not the Golds which means that I have six of the Golds.

They are beautiful ducks! All of my females are Gold. There are two distinct colors in my females; Some are much more white and have no apparent hoods and a couple are darker with hooding. Supposedly the hooding is a fault, but I think those are prettier myself. It also looks like the sexing by bill color was 100% accurate. Their bills started changing within the first couple days and continued to do so over several weeks. The females had almost black bills by the time they were only a few weeks old. The males took a little longer to lighten completely to light/medium green.

On the issue of temperament, I have to be honest- I don't like them at all in that respect. They are one of the most nervous, frantic breeds I have ever raised. My observation seems consistent with what I have read from the Waterfowl club of Great Britain. They describe them as "the most nervous breed". (http://www.domestic-waterfowl.co.uk/wharl.htm). I completely agree with that. I am not sure why Metzer's are more friendly other than perhaps the difference in bloodline. Of course, personality is very individual as well and the size of the group makes a difference too. That said, I have raised groups of 30-40 ducklings at a time and almost all of my other breeds have been far more friendly even raised in larger groups.

The other thing that is interesting is that their sounds are very distinct. I have always struggled telling the difference between ducks and drakes with my bantam ducks. Not so with these guys! LOL, they are *VERY* loud and the difference between the ducks/drakes is very, very distinct.

Anyway, those are my thoughts in a nutshell. I am going to sell most of them I think largely because of space constraints. If I didn't have limited space, it would be worth keeping them even if just as yard ornaments.

 

[Wifezilla]

When I read the description of the Welsh Harlequin ducks on that British site I had to laugh. My ducks are spoiled rotten brats. They are very people friendly and love eating treats out of my hand. They are Metzer ducks though.

My flakiest duck is an Indian Runner. I got her as an adult. I can't get closer than 3 feet to her. She always acts like I am there to murder her when I go to let them out of the pen

 

[CityChicker]

LOL, I know, isn't it funny? Runners, in general, I think are pretty skittish. I have had some Runners though that were just the calmest, sweetest things you have ever seen.

I am *so* tempted to try some of those Metzer WH for comparison since I have read so many great things about them. These guys I have are so high strung it is unreal. They are very frightful (not all of them though, a couple are less nervous, but still pretty crazy).

Another thing that I wonder that I have never seen mentioned is whether some of it may be an evolutionary mechanism they have developed for survival. I have noticed occasionally that ducks hatched later in the season can sometimes seem a little more high strung. Maybe it is about survival and catching up with those hatched earlier? I may be over thinking it though. It just seems plausible based on some of what I have learned in school recently. It probably wouldn't apply as much to the breeds that have been around for centuries and breed all year, but it may very well to some of these newer breeds that are closer to their wild counterparts. Even the original Campbells are rumored to have had some wild duck blood (possibly other than Mallard) added in the 1900's. Anyway, just thinking out loud.