Welsh Harlequin Duck

[Tahai]

No. She will not be OK. Drakes are .... (choosing my words so I don't get censored) .... well, they are like drunken pirates after a long stretch at sea. Only drakes are like that ALL the time. I would not put them with your chicken hens. If you plan to have a flock of ducks, my experience is that you need at least 5 duck hens for each drake.

Regarding predation, EVERYTHING thinks of Duck as a gourmet delicacy. Predators you didn't even know were around will come out of hiding to hunt your ducks. 10x worse than chicken predation. I had Welsh Harlequins and Cayugas, a mixed flock of about 20 birds to start. Even with electric bird fencing surrounding my chainlink run and secure coop and a bird netting top, I still lost every single duck within 2 years.

 

[Charlie Stuart]

No. She will not be OK. Drakes are .... (choosing my words so I don't get censored) .... well, they are like drunken pirates after a long stretch at sea. Only drakes are like that ALL the time. I would not put them with your chicken hens. If you plan to have a flock of ducks, my experience is that you need at least 5 duck hens for each drake.

Regarding predation, EVERYTHING thinks of Duck as a gourmet delicacy. Predators you didn't even know were around will come out of hiding to hunt your ducks. 10x worse than chicken predation. I had Welsh Harlequins and Cayugas, a mixed flock of about 20 birds to start. Even with electric bird fencing surrounding my chainlink run and secure coop and a bird netting top, I still lost every single duck within 2 years.

what about in regards to their size the smallest chicken I have is and ISA brown and I know Welsh harlequins are a small duck could they even get mount the hens. I also have 2 roosters.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

what about in regards to their size the smallest chicken I have is and ISA brown and I know Welsh harlequins are a small duck could they even get mount the hens. I also have 2 roosters.

I used to have a Welsh Harlequin drake and he was about the same size as the chickens. They aren't bantams, and the males are bigger than the females.

 

[Charlie Stuart]

I used to have a Welsh Harlequin drake and he was about the same size as the chickens. They aren't bantams, and the males are bigger than the females.

I see. would the chickens be fine if they were free ranging no fence at all. would they be able to run away? I can build a run for the ducks but I also like to let al the birds out?

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I see. would the chickens be fine if they were free ranging no fence at all. would they be able to run away? I can build a run for the ducks but I also like to let al the birds out?

I've seen duck hens run away from drakes quite a few times and the drake usually catches them. Same thing with chickens and roosters.

 

[Moondancer50]

I am possibly going to be getting a pair of Welsh harlequin Ducks (Male and Female) can they be kept with chickens? I was told some Male Breeds of duck could injure hens if they try and mate with them. If anyone has had experience with these duck in the past, please let me know.
Thank you

 

[Moondancer50]

My daughter gave her chicken to her sister cause her 2 drakes was going after them. Now I have the ducks but just the 3 females the 2 drakes I gave to a friend. The females was mom and sister to the drakes. The drakes was going after there mom the sisters run from them. Two drakes will go after the weakest and over breed them.. It's best to one drake for about 5 hens.