Help! Incubation issues

[Pyxis]

Our WHs must not be reading the same manual. I've raised and bred pure Welsh Harlequins for over a decade and have always had them hatch out on or around Day 23, with hatch rates running 85-100%. I have a friend who lives in Wales and his WHs and Khaki's all hatch out around Day 23 as well. If you look up WHs or Khaki Campbells in the UK, you will find that they hatch out anywhere from Day 23 to Day 26.

Strange, mine have always hatched on day 28, maybe day 27 or day 26. Are yours fairly small ducks? I've never even had Calls hatch before day 26.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Nope, as a breeder of Welsh Harlequins, I can tell you they take the standard 28 days Unless they have started to develop before you set them or your incubator is too hot, they are 28 days like all other mallard derived non-bantam ducks.

Calls and other bantam ducks can take 26 days, and that's the fastest of any of them. Muscovies take longer, 35 days.

X2

Our WHs must not be reading the same manual. I've raised and bred pure Welsh Harlequins for over a decade and have always had them hatch out on or around Day 23, with hatch rates running 85-100%. I have a friend who lives in Wales and his WHs and Khaki's all hatch out around Day 23 as well. If you look up WHs or Khaki Campbells in the UK, you will find that they hatch out anywhere from Day 23 to Day 26.

But are you in the UK? The US standards are skewed differently than UK standards... we change names here, for some reason... sounds more like Snowy Call ducks (or Silvers if in UK), but day 23 is still a bit early...

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Strange, mine have always hatched on day 28, maybe day 27 or day 26. Are yours fairly small ducks? I've never even had Calls hatch before day 26.

No, standard size. The only thing I can think of is somewhere along the line there might be another similar looking breed that ended up in your line.

 

[Pyxis]

No, standard size. The only thing I can think of is somewhere along the line there might be another similar looking breed that ended up in your line.

Mine are direct from Holderread's Top Show Quality breedings and the descendants I've bred from the ones I received from them so I really doubt anything is mixed in there unless Holderread is selling mixed birds. You're actually the first person I've run into to say theirs hatch so early. All the other breeders I know hatch theirs day 26 through 28, like mine.

By the way, I've also hatched khaki campbells, and they also hatched on day 28 for me all the multiple times I've done them.

Edit: You piqued my curiosity so I looked around. I can find reference to khakis hatching maybe at 23 days. Their incubation period is listed as "23 to 28 days" on one weebly page I found and in Wikipedia, but I can't find anything anywhere else and nothing on Welsh Harlequins, although since they are derived from khakis I would say it could be possible. But it doesn't seem to be unusual for them to hatch at 28 days. I would say day 23 would be more unusual than on day 27 or day 28.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

X2



But are you in the UK? The US standards are skewed differently than UK standards... we change names here, for some reason... sounds more like Snowy Call ducks (or Silvers if in UK), but day 23 is still a bit early...

In the States. Welsh Harliquins are a sport of the Khaki Campbell, not a Call Duck. There is no confusing the two. Sadly I've seen many adverts for ducks claiming to be "Welsh Harlquins" that aren't true WHs, and often times the breeder isn't even aware that their orig stock wasn't what it claimed to be. The Bielefelder is a prime example. I see countless of ads showing what is claimed to be Bieles, when they are in fact a cross or mixed breed. Alas most of the time the seller is an innocent victim and was sold impure birds, despite paying for what was supposed to be pure stock. The crossed breeds continue to be passed off as pure, again and again.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Mine are direct from Holderread and the descendants I've bred from the ones I received from them so I really doubt anything is mixed in there unless Holderread is selling mixed birds. You're actually the first person I've run into to say theirs hatch so early. All the other breeders I know hatch theirs day 26 through 28, like mine.

By the way, I've also hatched khaki campbells, and they also hatched on day 28 for me all the multiple times I've done them.

Edit: You piqued my curiosity so I looked around. I can find reference to khakis hatching maybe at 23 days. Their incubation period is listed as "23 to 28 days" on one weebly page I found and in Wikipedia, but I can't find anything anywhere else and nothing on Welsh Harlequins, although since they are derived from khakis I would say it could be possible. But it doesn't seem to be unusual for them to hatch at 28 days. I would say day 23 would be more unusual than on day 27 or day 28.

I don't know how much you have researched Holderread's breeding programmes, but he has been very open about how he had "developed" his own strains of KCs and WHs over the years. Whilst this not necessarily a bad thing, it most always ends up deviating from the original Standard.

 

[Pyxis]

I don't know how much you have researched Holderread's breeding programmes, but he has been very open about how he had "developed" his own strains of KCs and WHs over the years. Whilst this not necessarily a bad thing, it most always ends up deviating from the original Standard.

Eh, mine are bred to the current APA SOP. I guess it doesn't really matter much if something was crossed in awhile ago if they now meet the Standard. Not like what day they hatch on is a requirement of whether they are 'pure' or not or is in the Standard. As long as they breed true and meet the Standard, they're considered to be purebred WH, and mine do.

 

[Ravynscroft]

In the States. Welsh Harliquins are a sport of the Khaki Campbell, not a Call Duck. There is no confusing the two. Sadly I've seen many adverts for ducks claiming to be "Welsh Harlquins" that aren't true WHs, and often times the breeder isn't even aware that their orig stock wasn't what it claimed to be. The Bielefelder is a prime example. I see countless of ads showing what is claimed to be Bieles, when they are in fact a cross or mixed breed. Alas most of the time the seller is an innocent victim and was sold impure birds, despite paying for what was supposed to be pure stock. The crossed breeds continue to be passed off as pure, again and again.

Except for size and shape, Welsh Harlequins and Snowy Calls are identical... identical duckling down and markings... and identical plumage as adults...

US standards are deviated from UK standards across the board as well...

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

As long as you are happy with your birds, that is all that matters. I no longer show, however I have long-time friends who are APA judges, with whom I still keep in contact and occasionally meet up, and whom can vouch for my WHs meeting SOP and being true to breed.

 

[casportpony]

38.3 C and 78 % humidity

It's a little chicken dusty cause it's not in use now.

This is a Chinese knock-off of the Janoel 48. I tried using it as an incubator and lost at least half my eggs every time. :9