Welsh Harlequin-female turned male?

[starbird]

I agree, I think it is a girl.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Oh thank you all for responding! Thelma still has a baby "cheep" sound very much. I must admit, I will hate when it goes away. Thanks for the words of wisdom. I appreciate it very much! Sounds like a lot of folks have babies around here.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Im having the same isse with my girls named Lilly and Daisy. Except, we are concerned that Daisy is actually a Donald! See the pics, maybe someone can guess? I am being told she is a Daisy. Both had light bills, but Daisy was much bigger from the beginning. Both are very loud, Daisy is crazy too, just trying to hold her has been very difficult. Lilly's bill has now darkened and so has her body, but Daisy's only change is the tip of her bill is dark, and her feet are yellow. When calm her peep is very deep in sound, sort of like a goose. But her peep is certainly high pitch and loud! Any guess if she is a Daisy or Donald?



Lilly on Left, Daisy on right. Very different bill colors.


Daisy is bigger than Lilly. Daisy's color has not changed while Lilly has gotten darker. Could Lilly be a male? Her head is darkening. Can a male welsh have a dark bill if a female can have a light bill?

CONFUSING! HELP! Thanks!

 

[PrayingMantis]

Hi Nebraskagirl!
My duck in question looks just like your duck in question!




Daisy is light in color, light bill with dark tip. Lilly is dark bill and body color getting darker as she started off looking the same color as Daisy. Daisy is loud, hyper, and much bigger than Lilly....just want to put to rest if Daisy is a Donald instead! Or could it be that Lilly is a male? Yikes! They are 30 days old.

 

[ducklover87]

Hi Nebraskagirl! My duck in question looks just like your duck in question! Daisy is light in color, light bill with dark tip. Lilly is dark bill and body color getting darker as she started off looking the same color as Daisy. Daisy is loud, hyper, and much bigger than Lilly....just want to put to rest if Daisy is a Donald instead! Or could it be that Lilly is a male? Yikes! They are 30 days old.

If look at my pics above of puddle and splash you will see that splash's bill is the same as your daisy and she is almost 12 weeks old. And both splash and puddle are girls.

 

[learycow]

It can be one of a few things:
1. The bill sexing is only about 90% accurate. So you could've picked out 1 male, 1 female, 2 females, or even possibly (though highly unlikely) 2 males.
2. They usually change bill color as the mature and get to a point where the males and females all look similar with darker shaded bills. So even though one is darker colored that doesn't make it a male
3. some females have a lighter colored bill. It doesn't mean it isn't pure harlequin.

So until they feather more, you won't really know. But if you have a male, then green feathers will start to come in around the bill and eyes.

I think you have 2 females though, and 1 simply has a light bill instead of the dark bill

 

[Nebraskagirl]

It can be one of a few things:
1. The bill sexing is only about 90% accurate. So you could've picked out 1 male, 1 female, 2 females, or even possibly (though highly unlikely) 2 males.
2. They usually change bill color as the mature and get to a point where the males and females all look similar with darker shaded bills. So even though one is darker colored that doesn't make it a male
3. some females have a lighter colored bill. It doesn't mean it isn't pure harlequin.

So until they feather more, you won't really know. But if you have a male, then green feathers will start to come in around the bill and eyes.

I think you have 2 females though, and 1 simply has a light bill instead of the dark bill

Were you directing this to me (the original poster) or to the other person who posted in my thread?

 

[learycow]

I was just posting it for whoever wanted to read it I thought it might help some of you who aren't too familiar with the breed as I know a lot of people try to sex them ONLY by their bill color which doesn't always prove to be correct

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Thank you. I am fairly confident I have two females.