The next generation...More than I had hoped for.

[duckyfromoz]

Anyone who is carefully selecting their ducks for breeding to improve the quality of their birds would know that some desired traits may take years to get right. The main fault I have in my birds- is the beak colour. Harlequin Runners are so rare- that I until I got my own- I had only ever seen a single photo of them- and no live birds at all. I had to take the risk and buy what ever bird I could and hope that over time I could breed back to the standards. I now have a little female that is certainly a keeper- and a big improvement on her mother. The beak colour in this little girl is more than I had hoped to achieve in just one season of breeding.

Here is mother and daughter.

Type wise- the young girl is looking better too- but still very young so has a bit of filling out to do. And of course there is still one more molt before I see her true feather colouring as well. But so far - I am more than happy with the progress I made with my breeding plan..and so proud I just had to share the photo of these two gorgeous girls.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Oh wow, great progress!
very pretty birds

 

[duckyfromoz]

Thank you... I should add -I hatched a few hundred eggs over the last 8 months - selling them off just a few days old to pick for the best colour- but time and time again- they would have a good beak but no feather colour- or great feathers- but still the wrong coloured beak. . I have had plenty of wonderful males... its was the girls that needed the most improvement. I have another younger one from a group of a further 30 ducklings hatched when I borrowed a friends ducks, so at least I have 2 new girls for showing and breeding this year...and 8 boys I have kept to choose from as well.

 

[aineheartsyou]

wow! that is great!

 

[gofasterstripe]

Beautiful. So glad you got something for all youre hard work.

 

[destinduck]

I agree. With the time you put in the breed you definitely deserve a blessing.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Thanks again... Getting some exposures out there around the country has been an aim of mine- as the more people that see them- the more may take up with them . I know of a very nice drake hatched from eggs I sent to Tasmania- and am about to transport a trio up to Queensland as well... So hoping in the future Harlequins may make it off the rare and endangered list here. The fellow in Queensland is also very passionate about starting up with the colour. Chocolates and blacks still seem to be the colours people want - but some of the rarer colours just havent been seen before. I have a little buff (or apricot) coloured girl still in a brooder- so am also watching her carefully in the hope she may be usefull with my Cinnamon project.

 

[lovesduckies]

yay. congrats!

 

[firsthouse_mp]

Very nice--harlequin runners!!!!

 

[Hattiegun]

awesome ducky... man,, how long have u had ducks anyway.?