HELP!?!? Male or Female Welsh Harlequin??

[Mamabear143]

Hello there, I currently have 2 ducks both are 6 months old. I have 1 Blue Swedish and 1 Welsh Harlequin (that’s what I was told anyways when I purchased fertile eggs online to hatch myself). My “Welsh Harlequin” has kept me confused the entire time she has been alive on whether or not she was male or female. Just recently I discovered eggs in the area where I keep my ducks, both were the same color but there was a distinct size difference and I found them in the exact same spot. I checked them to see if they were fertile, only one had the white spot on it but no ring around the white spot. My “Welsh Harlequin has been mounting my Blue Swedish in the pool (I’ve read this can be normal for females). With all these things I’m just confused on whether or not I have 2 females or one of each. Please help!!

 

[noodledog]

They both sound like females to me! They're adorable too.

 

[Mamabear143]

Can you post a video of the sounds they make? You can upload a video to Youtube/vimeo/etc and post a link here. Males make a quiet raspy noise and females quack.

 

[Everose]

Um...besides the black bill that REALLY doesn't look like a Welsh harlequin

 

[21hens-incharge]

I don't see a Welsh either. The blue Swedish is adorable and definitely a blue Swedish. The brown one even as a young duckling doesn't look like a welsh.

Maybe a rouen?

 

[Everose]

That baby has a second eye stripe. Welshies look very bland in color as babies ( not pretty black and yellow babies) and they DO NOT have eye stripes as adults unless they are mixed. I would say she is a rouen like @21hens-incharge said. She'll lay about 150 eggs a year and will be pretty chunky. A good breed

 

[Everose]

Thank you! See that’s what I thought too, I guess as a first time duck mom, google is getting the best of me and confusing me lol

Any recommendations on a great male breed that would make cute babies with my girls??

I would use a lighter weight boy because he likely won't have issues breeding and won't hurt your girls. However I would also get one or two more girls just to make sure he doesn't over breed them. A bigger drake might hurt your medium weight blue swedish.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I can tell you your "welsh" is a female. Now whether she is pure welsh or not that is the question. She is very darker than what would be standard for a duck that young. Female welshes have a tendency to get darker in their 2nd year. She has the right bill color, the pretty brown speckles and the blue on her tips. Depending on size, she could be a silver appleyard. They are bigger. But the stripes around her eyes leads me to think there's roen in her as well. Especially the baby pics of her. Here are my welshes so you can see the difference.

 

[Mamabear143]

Can you post a video of the sounds they make? You can upload a video to Youtube/vimeo/etc and post a link here. Males make a quiet raspy noise and females quack.

My Blue Swedish definitely quacks and makes the typical female sound but I feel like the Welsh Harlequin does also. Let me go outside and get a video.

 

[Mamabear143]

They both sound like females to me! They're adorable too.

Thank you! See that’s what I thought too, I guess as a first time duck mom, google is getting the best of me and confusing me lol

Any recommendations on a great male breed that would make cute babies with my girls??