Need help sexing welsh harlequin ducklings!

[thatgirlmaude]

I hatched some silver welsh harlequin ducklings a couple of days ago, some of them it’s easy enough to tell the gender, but a few of them have me stumped. I know not all of them are able to be sexed by bill color, the eggs came from a local farm and they bought their ducks from a big hatchery, but I can’t remember which one.

I’m attaching pictures. I’m certain #4 is female and #5 is male, just not sure about the first three. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

 

[Peaches Lee]

I'm absolutely no help but they are so adorable I can't even!! I didn't even know you can tell gender that quickly! Good luck with the little cuties!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am absolutely not an expert in any form but I would think the first 3 are females.

Super cute!!

 

[FunQuail]

I agree with @21hens-incharge, sometimes the bills are a little off 90% accurate from what I remember. If those are all girls that’s super lucky and a good ratio! they are adorable !!

 

[Percipen]

They are all so stinking cute! I love new ducklings. I have 3 welshies that I hatched last spring (all drakes) and their bills looked like # 1 & 2. #3 could go either way. Seems light enough to be a girl but that large patch of dark towards the face could mean a drake. You're so lucky to have at least 1 girl in the mix! I was hoping for a girl...my guys are pretty cool though I attached a pic of one of my guys the day they hatched. Not the best pic of his bill bc of the glare, but you can see how he had that pink in the center. None of mine had a solid black bill like your #5. I wish they were all that easy to sex!!

 

[Ratchnick]

Its my understanding that only golds can be sexed from bill color.

 

[Floof]

Its my understanding that only golds can be sexed from bill color.

Good lines can be sexed in both varieties (gold and silver). My birds from Holderreads can be sexed pretty reliably in the first 2 days. After that the distinction starts to fade.

 

[FunQuail]

Its my understanding that only golds can be sexed from bill color.

I have silver, sexed from the hatchery and their bills matched their genders until it faded.

 

[21hens-incharge]

My hatchery silvers were pretty clear even at 3 days post hatch. I only had one I questioned. She turned out nearly all white with an off color bill and orange feet.

 

[thatgirlmaude]

I'm absolutely no help but they are so adorable I can't even!! I didn't even know you can tell gender that quickly! Good luck with the little cuties!

From my understanding you’re supposed to be able to with this breed, but maybe the lines aren’t good enough. Time will tell, I guess! haha