My welsh harlequin project! (Please read)

[DUCKGIRL89]

70%cocoa :

Yes, that sounds like a good idea

Going for Holderreads is the way to go. They are the real thing.

It's not wrong to breed and sell the offspring you can't keep or don't want. People were talking about buying in adult ducks and then deciding on another breed and selling those and doing that again and again. But it sounds like you have really settled on the Welshies, which is great. They are a lovely duck.

I think you'd make a great avian vet. You should go for it!!

thats what i have wanted to be since i was 4

then i got addicteded to ducks, now thats what im gonna shoot for

i really love the welshies! they are beautiful! and very rare. i like anconas as well, and silkie ducks

going to get three silkie ducklings from holderreads next year with the welshie order

and im getting a ancona drake after christmas!

i really like the more rare breeds.​

 

[70%cocoa]

That's good - rare breeds are a priority, I think. Keeping the quality ones going is really important.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

yes, thts why im inproving my welshie lines

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Thats sounds like a good idea too, though it may be better to use a holderreads drake too, but I know you are attached to the drake you have. How many is more mom allowing you to have there ? Can you have enough to keep your drake and a holderreads drake and 3-4 hens ? Maybe set up two trios ? And send your mismarked hens to your dads pond like you said.

 

[goosedragon]

Let me tell you a Secret It takes a real experienced breeder to predict the quality of the next generation and even then they are often suprised by the results [both ways both good and bad. They show the good and get rid of the bad] Even the mightly Dave Holderread produces a lot of ducklings that will never see a show. I don't know if he still has the warning on his site it used to be there and was thought by many to be over optimistic. Just the parents have show quality, the odds are that the offspring might be better than run of the mill ducks but no one can really be sure until the hatch and usually not even then, they often have to wait until they feather out to tell if the markings are right. The only sure way of getting show quality ducks is to go to the show with wads of money and buy the winners and they can even be losers with a different Judge. Show winners are the best looking ducks WHEN THEY ARE JUDGED AND ARE ONLY THE OPINION OF THE JUDGE. There are no absolutes, if there were they would take pictures of the winners and never bother to have another show. It isn't a matter of being purebreds either many a winner has a funny grandparent that was bred in to produce a trait that looks like the ideal of the breed standard When it works out the breeder usually keeps silent about the cross. When it does not work the clutch is disposed of.~gd

 

[DB_Tex]

"Show winning quality" literally depends on the day and the preparation. It falls to the opinions of the judges, and down to careful preparation. A stray white feather on a cayuga is an instant disqualifier, but sometimes they can be tweezered off, and you may still get ribbons off that bird.

Look up the poultry show schedule in your homestate. You don't have to be in any club at all to enter anything called an "open show." You might be able to squeeze into one for practice, or at least attend one and scout the competition. In 4H, there are 4H only competitions called "round robins" you can prepare for now. For animal judging, breeds are judged against one another. If you are the only youth exhibiting a welsh harly, you will be the defacto "best of breed winner". You can also brush up on generic livestock information for quiz bowls. Questions include diseases, care, and anatomy of any type of shown animal, so you will need to be familiar with chickens, goats, cavies (guinea pigs) and whatever else the competing clubs cover.
If you have a bird already that you think is exceptional, start training him or her (I'm guessing you feel that way about your drake) to be handled for your showmanship competitions. See if someone can tell you how the bird will need to be held and what parts of him you will need to present. I've seen someone demonstrate rabbits, cavis and goats, but not birds yet so I can't help you there.

I don't want to encourage you to instigate any bad exchanges with your mom, but has she said why she does not want you to order from Holderreads? Does she think it's too far to send chicks? (get grogel with your order) does she think they are too expensive? I find their prices pretty competitive on basic ducks. Does she not understand the value of good blood for good lines? Is it the money? Is it the trouble? is that she's just so sick of hearing you talk about ducks that she just doesn't want to encourage your obsession?? lol!

If its the distance, Im sure she can eventually brought to understand that people the continent over receive perfectly healthy birds all the time, and they have a live chick guarantee after all. If it's the money earn and save it yourself.

Not only will you need fresh (and better) blood to improve your lines, Holderread has something you can't get anywhere else; the gold strain of harlequins. As I understand it the gold strain is borderline extinct in most harly bevies. Holderread keeps them alive and well, his random welsh ducklings seem to mature to be close to 50/50 silver and golds from what I hear. I have yet to hear of anyone who ordered hatchery harlies getting any goldens. As a serious breeder, you really should work in both strains. It certainly helps for breeding sex linked ducklings.

 

[KansasKid]

Correct me if i am wrong but i believe that hatchery WH from metzers i have seen to be gold phase sometimes, based on birds i have seen on this site from them?
I know other people like to keep them around but it is IMHO that goldens aren't as good looking as the silver phase, besides the APA standard is for silvers anyhow.


Heres some punnett squares that i have posted elsewhere to help understand the brown dilution a little bit.
Ignore

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:

that was confusing

but it will make more sence when im not so tired

RAREROO: since im paying for my own feed and all, i really would only like to keep 4 welsh harlequins

maybe 6 if i can convince myself to take my baby to my dads (hatchery quality rouen duckling that im VERY attached to!), but that would break my heart

i would also have to get rid of my darling rouen hen

i REALLY only want 8-10 standard weight ducks, and three maybe four bantams at my house. and 10 standarn weights at my dads (already have plans for taking five over there in spring) i want at the least 4 or 6 welsh harlequins, 2 anconas, and i want a few silkie ducks

also a SQ welsh harlequin breeder told me my drake was a silver, so are all my hens.

 

[70%cocoa]

So, in the US, what is the genetic difference between a gold phase and silver phase Welsh Harlequin?

Here (Australia) all true WH are dusky mallard, harlequin phase, chocolate/brown dilution (giving brown on the wing). There is no such thing as gold versus silver. Anything with blue in the wing is lacking the chocolate/brown dilution and is known as an Abacot Ranger.

So what's the story on the other side of the Pacific?

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

70%cocoa :

So, in the US, what is the genetic difference between a gold phase and silver phase Welsh Harlequin?

Here (Australia) all true WH are dusky mallard, harlequin phase, chocolate/brown dilution (giving brown on the wing). There is no such thing as gold versus silver. Anything with blue in the wing is lacking the chocolate/brown dilution and is known as an Abacot Ranger.

So what's the story on the other side of the Pacific?

im not sure my self