Sexing welsh harlequin help?

[prestoconfuoco]

Hey all,

I'm just a bit paranoid that my 7 week old welsh harlequin might be a drake, but I'm very new to raising ducks -- and I've never had a drake -- so I don't know how to tell that well. Here are a few videos I took to showcase the sounds she makes and what she looks like. (There are also two 8-9 week old pekins? or white layers? not sure yet...wandering around in one or two of these clips!)

I just got worried because I noticed her head is that darker shade, and I know adult males have a darker head than body.

Any thoughts?

(ps. that mess isn't their usual habitat, don't worry! I had them out on the floor)

 

[Cecisflock]

One of them really sounds like a boy... can't pinpoint which one though. There is nothing wrong with a drake and are allowed in most cities. They make less noise than ducks.

 

[fatty and friends]

drake

 

[prestoconfuoco]

One of them really sounds like a boy... can't pinpoint which one though. There is nothing wrong with a drake and are allowed in most cities. They make less noise than ducks.

I think that might be one of the layers(?) which has a lower voice than the other two of the three.

The only reason I mind at all is because I have two adult females, and five ducklings of various ages -- once they're all together I just want a good ratio of males to females!

 

[Cecisflock]

I think that might be one of the layers(?) which has a lower voice than the other two of the three.

The only reason I mind at all is because I have two adult females, and five ducklings of various ages -- once they're all together I just want a good ratio of males to females!

Oh I see! well I think 1 male to 3 females is good honestly. Those golden 300 types may be what I am hearing...

 

[prestoconfuoco]

drake

Thanks for the response. What makes you think so? Is it the appearance, or are the noises drake-like? (If you go to the later few videos you won't hear noises from the layer ducks.)

 

[fatty and friends]

Thanks for the response. What makes you think so? Is it the appearance, or are the noises drake-like? (If you go to the later few videos you won't hear noises from the layer ducks.)

the drake noises and how dark he is, i’ve never seen a hen that dark. i did have a khaki girl who had a green beak and slight green head (unfortunately she passed away at 10 weeks so i don’t know what she would look like now) so technically it is possible you have a hen, just very unlikely

 

[prestoconfuoco]

Thanks. Since I am starting to suspect one of the layer ducks is male (lower voice than the rest, I think the one Cecilia heard as male) I hope this one is not! I think having two males out of seven total ducks would be too many drakes to ducks -- since these are just pets and I want them to be as comfortable as possible I'd really like around a 1 - 5 or 1 - 6 ratio if possible...

 

[ibarbidahl]

Green bill, lace pattern on the back, squeaky sound no quack. It's a drake.

 

[Dux]

I'm not so sure it's a male. I had the same concern about my WH ducks when they were starting to feather in: they were all supposed to be girls but one of them had a yellow bill and was darker than the others and I was terrified she was actually a boy and I might have to rehome or butcher her (she was also the most dominant). Looking back on the photos from that time, I think she looks similar to yours. I'm attaching a pic, taken when they were 6 weeks old, so you can see what you think - obviously she's the duck on the far left:

As it turned out, she was definitely a girl, just with a bill that stayed yellow her whole life and darker coloring than my other silver phase Welshie.