My new Welsh Harlequin Drake

[kcardella]

Yes, my older girls (a little over 3 months) still have yellow on their bills, which I don't think is correct. They came from Metzer also. It's OK though, I just want eggs, and they put the drake in for warmth when they sent me a replacement Khaki Campbell hen. I don't have the heart to get rid of him. He is very sweet.

 

[pirtykitty]

I got my trio of Welsh harlequins from Metzers also.. and have been wondering what is this standard that is talked about????
I know it has something to do with if your going to be showing your birds ( I'm not) .. Just wondering what it's about.

 

[Wifezilla]

It does have to do with showing, but if you are breeding them for sale, it is also good to know what you have so you can accurately represent your ducklings to buyers.

http://holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/welsh_page/welsh_page.htm
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/waterfowl/welshharlequin.html

 

[TK Poultry]

he is really pretty he looks like the one i sold today

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
That only applies to the ducks not the drakes. There is a distinction between the grey tones/bronze tones on the drakes' bodies. The blue speculums only varies with the females.

Here is a pic of a gold and silver drake on this page, 3rd picture

http://www.muscovyduckcentral.com/thefarm/welshharlequin.html

 

[Emzyyy]

Oh wow Mr. Gorgeous!

ducks are adorable.

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
That only applies to the ducks not the drakes. There is a distinction between the grey tones/bronze tones on the drakes' bodies. The blue speculums only varies with the females.

Here is a pic of a gold and silver drake on this page, 3rd picture

http://www.muscovyduckcentral.com/thefarm/welshharlequin.html

Are you sure about that? Hmmm... I will ask Holderread's because I have to talk to them about some other ducks I have coming anyway. Everything I have read has said that the Golds have a bronze speculum. I haven't seen anything that says that doesn't apply to the drakes (not saying it is not true, just hadn't heard that).

Anyway, I had ten WH from Holderread's. All of the Golds, including the Gold drake, have a bronze-brown wing speculum. All of the Silvers have a blue speculum. I have seen it written that the speculum is the definitive thing to look at if the color is in question. My Gold drake most definitely has a brown speculum.

Are you sure yours are all Golds, Cetawin? Mine definitely were *not* all Golds. I can't remember if yours were supposed to all be or not. I do remember one thread several weeks ago were someone said that the darker ducklings are Silvers (and I think we didn't know if that was true or not because we both had some ducklings with the dark markings). I am not sure if I am recollecting correctly. At any rate, whoever it was that said that was right in my case anyway- *ALL* of mine that had the darker markings as ducklings ended up being Silvers.

 

[Wifezilla]

Shelley had a faint black cap when she was little. The other two didn't and were just yellow with a little brown smudging.

Shelley

They grew up to look like golds.

Wendy & Bebe

 

[CityChicker]

So cute! Now, does Shelley look more like a Silver? Does she have any blackish feathers? That website that Cetawin posted says that the Gold ducklings are mostly yellow too. Sounds like pretty much what yours were too, Wifezilla.

All of mine that had dark shading as ducklings have developed some black feathering and blue wing speculums. All of the ducklings that were yellow have the areas that would be black diluted to a light brown and have bronze speculums.

 

[kcardella]

Would this hen be considered gold or silver phase? If they are silver, how long does it take to get the blue coloring?

At one week:

3 months: