The Duck Thread

[chickengirl987]

Hi all. Can anyone tell me the sex of this duck in the picture. It is 7 or 8 weeks old.

what breed

 

[dazza1965]

Supposed to be welsh harlequin. Owner says its a drake. Doesn't want to vent sex to avoid accidental damage. I think its a female. No curled tail feathers.but may not have started to curl. Ive not seen the duck. Owner also says no actual quack yet.

 

[chickengirl987]

it's beautiful i hope my welsh harlequins will look like that

 

[KuroKitsune]

from what i remember they dont get the curled feather till around 11 or 12 weeks old. so if your duck is 7/8 weeks then it has awhile. also does it quack or does it have raspy voice?

and if thats indeed a welsh harlequin its a drake because of the dark head...drakes have that dark head girl ducks dont.

 

[marcbarsby13]

I found half of an egg in my ducks pen today. I thought she had 12 and she still does. Could this be a 13th? She was eating a piece of the shell when I went in to look at what she had. Would one of the drakes have broken it and eaten it? I had them quarantined off but sound them back in the hens side after work.

 

[subhanalah]

from what i remember they dont get the curled feather till around 11 or 12 weeks old.  so if your duck is 7/8 weeks then it has awhile.  also does it quack or does it have raspy voice?

and if thats indeed a welsh harlequin its a drake because of the dark head...drakes have that dark head girl ducks dont.

from my understanding, the boy/girl color patterns don't apply to juvenile WHs. As they molt, the colors change, and you won't really know til they get their final adult plumage.
Anyone else?

 

[dazza1965]

from my understanding, the boy/girl color patterns don't apply to juvenile WHs. As they molt, the colors change, and you won't really know til they get their final adult plumage.
Anyone else?

Thanks everyone for your comments. The owner has said it has no defined voice. So I might have to wait a bit longer. But we contacted the owner about this duck10 weeks ago, which the duckling was 2 week's old. That makes it 11or 12weeks old in my opinion.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I found half of an egg in my ducks pen today. I thought she had 12 and she still does. Could this be a 13th? She was eating a piece of the shell when I went in to look at what she had. Would one of the drakes have broken it and eaten it? I had them quarantined off but sound them back in the hens side after work.

Sounds like one may have gotten broken and they will clean up to keep preds away.

 

[dazza1965]

Sounds like one may have gotten broken and they will clean up to keep preds away. 

Could it be possible that another bird has had the egg? I have trouble with magpies getting my eggs when they are laid outside

 

[Miss Lydia]

Could it be possible that another bird has had the egg? I have trouble with magpies getting my eggs when they are laid outside

I guess a wild bird would be bold enough to walk inside where a nest was but doubt it would be able to get it out from under a brooding ducks, but it may have rolled out from under her or she pushed it out, Game camera would come in handy to know for sure.