Welsh Harlequin Breeding Thread - People who are breeding or want to breed their WH's talk

[coptop89]

I have a question for you folks who have been raising WH for a while. Have any of you let any of your ducks sit and hatch her own ducklings?? If so...were they good mothers after the hatch or did you have any trouble with the hatch itself?? The reason I'm asking is I have 2 WH ducks who have been sitting on nests. One duck was sitting on about a dozen muscovy eggs and the other duck, 10 of her own eggs. The muscovy eggs were relocated after a raccoon got the muscovy hen about 2 weeks ago. Over the last couple of days I have pulled out 4 dead muscovy ducklings from the nest. Each one is dried and fluffed out but very smashed and has almost nothing to it. I was able to save one who I found all by itself outside the nest. I found another today that was still alive but didn't make much past a couple of hours. Now, the other duck is in a separate pen and I when I walked in there today I saw an empty egg shell laying on the ground. Got the hen off her nest and didn't see a baby. So I moved the nest around and sure enough...a smashed dead baby duck was buried in the side of the nest.

This all just seems very odd to me. The duckling that I was able to save is doing fine 24 hours later but when I initially found it I did try and give back to the WH duck that hatched it but it acted like it wanted nothing to do with it. Now I do have more experience with muscovies and know that they are great mothers and didn't really expect the Welsh to do as well at mothering but I didn't think it would be this bad. Or is there something else I'm missing??? Now these are last springs (2011) birds and this is the first time I have let them sit. Inexperience? Some sort of parasite or bug I'm not aware of?? Or are Welsh Harlequin ducks just that "flighty"?

Thanks for listening....curious what ideas or knowledge you folks might have!

Ryan

 

[larkflying]

I had 5 WH ducks sit this spring. One hatched out some ducklings, and the rest lost the eggs to bad nests, or infertility (I rehomed my drake a bit too early - wasn't expecting any more to sit). Two of the ducks take turns mothering the babies . . . they are doing a great job. Didn't find any dead babies -- just bad eggs under the rest. They seemed accepting of the babies and protected them from me very well! Mine were year old hens also.

I'm hoping they'll all do better next year -- especially because I'm hoping to give them better nesting areas, and take away eggs after they start to sit. I think one problem they had was too many eggs under them.

Maybe your birds were just confused this year -- but at least you are getting some babies. I was hoping for more than I got!

 

[Sandara]

This is my trio I bought from a local breeder, ok not so local, had to drive 3 hours round trip to get them! This pic was taken at 8 weeks. Does any one have a comment on their coloring? This is my first attempt at having ducks, they share the yard with 18 chickens!

 

[WH fan]

Hi. This thread is interesting. thanks. These are some of my gold phase WH, which is the accepted standard over here in NZ. I too prefer the silver phase, they are much prettier, and easier to breed - shame. I am interested in any comments. Thanks.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

I have a pair of WH and was wondering what everyone thinks of them. I LOVE the breed and while they are pets (not showing and not eating) I would like to know some more about them. I believe the female is golden and the male is a silver.

 

[poultry09]

The drake looks great! and the female does look like a gold, I dont know much about the gold... or slivers as a matter of a fact.

Here is a pair of silvers I recently picked up from DH

 

[minichic]

Wanted to share Mitzi and Marty, my pair of WH's, that were a present from my boyfriend. They, plus 10 others, were rescued from "freezer camp" by him. They are such fun! I keep a small flock of backyard chickens and have to say that I am completely hooked on ducks now. Mitzi started laying eggs on Christmas Day and she hasn't missed a day yet.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Oh those are beautiful! What a great pair!!!

 

[Dwen]

Mr. Wonka & Taffy who I found at an auction before Christmas.Golden I believe?

 

[Nebraskagirl]

They appear Golden, at least the female does. Not 100 percent sure on the male. They are beautiful though and I love the names.