Welsh Harlequin ducklings.. gender?

[Wifezilla]

Mine aren't show quality though, got them from metzer so maybe that has something to do with it. It took a LONG time for my girls beaks to get darker and one of them still has a speckled beak.

Me too.

If you click on my blog link, Shelley and Wendy are from Metzer. Wendy's head is dark, Shelley's is not.

What do they sound like? The loud ones are usually girls

 

[CityChicker]

My experience with the WH from Holderread's was not that at all. Other than that they did have a period of time where they "met in the middle" and both looked the same. My girl's bills all changed much faster than the boys. They began getting darker literally when only a few days old (which is what is supposed to happen). A spotted bill at several months old strongly suggests to me that the bird is not carrying the sex-linked bill color (and I don't mean that as anything against Metzer's because I like them a lot and think they have good, healthy birds). Anyway, my girls had very dark bills within a couple of weeks.

The boy's bills began to lighten more slowly over time and were the exact color of the OP's dark headed duckling until they were about 6 weeks old. They continued to lighten and get more green over several weeks/months. I definitely agree there was a period of time where they became difficult to discern by bill color. The difference was so slight, but it was there. I would say the OP's are most likely a pair, but they could be two females (I'm strongly leaning towards pair though).

 

[Wifezilla]

Hey Dana,

That link also has pictures of your babies all grown up. Lexus is GORGEOUS and Tweak is quite the stud-muffin

 

[CityChicker]

Which link, the Blue Feather one? (cute name, btw). I will have to go check it out! I'm glad to hear they are doing good. Are they starting to lay well?

Editing to add- Cool, I just checked out the pictures. They are looking beautiful! They were really good quality birds. If I wanted show quality Welsh Harlequins, I would definitely do Holderread stock again. The quality in the WH was very consistent.

 

[craftydrae]

I have been raising Welsh Harlequins for five years now, and you can tell by 4 weeks what the sex is, and some times by two weeks. You have one female and one male there.
They are lovely.

 

[localife]

Also, are my ducklings old enough to be outside? Thanks!

By "outside" what do you mean -- like just to visit the outside, or to be in an outdoor pen with a lamp, or just out all the time?
If those pictures are current (and they are adorable!) then they likely need supplemental heat available until they are more feathered out. The fuzz won't do much to keep them warm if it's chilly or breezy. My WH's are 6 weeks old, and almost fully feathered, but it's cool at night and breezy during the day so they have a lamp available if they want it (and they often do!).

 

[suzy4027]

I have been raising Welsh Harlequins for five years now, and you can tell by 4 weeks what the sex is, and some times by two weeks. You have one female and one male there.
They are lovely.

Can I ask what you think I have? I figure they are a pair but I would swear I hear the same quack out of both of them. The lighter bill is the one that's throwing me off. Got them at Orschlens, who gets them from Estes Hatchery. Lucked up in finding something other than pekins, mallards or rouens. Not that I wouldn't have taken any of those breeds, I just wanted to be able to get 2 girls. One was obvious and one was iffy....

At 4 days old.

About 2-3 days ago.

Ever since I heard the quacking, it's been making me nuts. I don't care either way, just thought I'd ask.

 

[suzy4027]

Btw, the only reason I thought the darker billed 4 day old was iffy was all the other boys had obviously darker bills. I went with the 2nd lightest I could get.