Welsh Harlequin experts - Color question

[lakota_elder]

I love this website.... and the education I can get from it... I just purchased 3 more WH and was suprised to see how dark they were. I wasn't even sure I had WH... but... they sure look alike except for coloring.. I actually prefer the lighter coloring. My one female is just now starting to darken at a year of age and the other hasn't started yet.... has a great dark beak and dark legs... the other is still coloring on the beak and barely starting to color on the legs... I started taking photos of all of them so I can keep an age, coloration photo diary for future reference. PS.. thanks for the genetics.. I printed it off and highlighted certain areas... what I don't understand I'll try to research... I figure, if I'm going to spend the money for breeding and feeding this quackers I may as well do it to the best of my ability... and knowledge = better breeding results and fewer mistakes...!!!

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
Too funny! But the same goes with me. I think the genetics is so interesting, I just wish I could wrap my head around the logic!

Oh, no! I'm sorry! LOL, I don't want anyone's head to explode, LOL...

I love talking about the genetics of the duck colors. I wish it was easier to explain and/or understand. Keep in mind, I raised ducks for over twenty years before I ever really decided to make it my goal to understand the genetics behind what I was trying to do. I just got to a point where none of my mentors in the Waterfowl world could really answer some of my questions and I was really wanting to learn more about breed development and be more methodical with my breeding. Anyway, I read all that I could find on genetics and then reread a lot again as I was taking my sciences in undergrad. That is when it really started to "gel" for me.

I think a person really just has to have enough interest in the topic to research it and learn. Once you do, it really is not that difficult. It just seems like it is at first. It is probably more difficult to understand though if you don't have enough interest in the topic to really study it. I still have much to learn myself, but I have genuine interest in it so it is easier to have the patience to do it. Of course, there are other areas of keeping waterfowl that I have minimal to no interest in! That is just the way it is I think. I will try to come up with a good analogy at some point that makes it easier to understand.

 

[Wifezilla]

It also helps if your attention span is more than 3 seco..... HEY LOOK! A PUPPY!!!