Welsh Harlequin

[ChickenToes]

I'm moving away from raising chickens and moving towards raising more ducks. I'll be getting some Welsh Harlequins this spring. I've heard they lay very well, because they are related to the Khaki Campbell. I've also read that they have a tendency to go broody, is there any truth to that?

I'm not trying to diss chickens on a chicken forum, but when a good egg laying duck can lay twice the amount of eggs a chicken can per year, why don't more people raise ducks!?

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

It's been of my observation that what some are calling "Welsh Harlequins" may in fact other breeds entirely. Granted, it's not just about colour, but some things should be very very obvious, such as wing bar colouring. I have been to shows and seen heavier drakes with blue wing bars being entered (and winning!) as Welsh Harlequins. How can that be?

The Welsh Harlequin is not an old breed as breeds go, so the standard hasn't had all that long to get so distorted and corrupted. And the standard I'm talking about is the 1949 original from Wales...not whatever some association or club may have since chosen from their member(s) with the biggest flock or the most money.

But when you have so many people out there, including Poultry judges, with so many different ideas of what a TRUE Welsh Harlequin actually is, where does a potential new breeder go to get the correct information?

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Quote:
Then it's not really a Welsh Harlequin, regardless of what the U.S. or anyone else calls it. And breeding what you "think" is a WH, doesn't make it so. That is, unless you have money...and as we all know money talks, and unfortunately with the right amount of backing, it appears that any mixed breed can have another breed's name slapped on it and sold as such, much to the demise, and possibly outright extinction, of the actual breed.

The AKC has done the same thing to dogs...it doesn't take a breeder to turn on the TV and watch the AKC Nationals to see how some of the most awesome working dog breeds are being turned into useless, misshapen creatures that physically couldn't do what they were originally bred for if their life depended on it.

That is NOT preservation of the breed.

It's not my intention to upset anyone here. I just want to preserve the original breed, and not just someone's ideal or version of it.

Does anyone have a copy of the standard from Wales that they would care to share?


I

Welsh Harlequins

 

[threeducks]

Quote:
Welcome to the pit of despair, dont even think about (cough, cough). Dont even think about leaving.

 

[pardygwyn]

I do appreciate a duck with junk in the trunk! Especially if it's from eating lots of slugs.

Didn't realize they got that much heavier than the usual Khaki body type. Those guys aren't the best fliers, but in my experience they can when they're young. I had an imprinted Khaki once named Dinky who would take off flying if I rode my bike past her. Once she was started, she'd fly about three blocks away to the harbor and I'd be hours getting her to come back out!

 

[DB_Tex]

Welshies don't seem to be as anxious as my campbells-- my calmest ducks are a toss up between my golden hybrids and my welsh, they even make my swedish and cayuga look neurotic by comparison.
I also like that welsh are a little bulkier. It's always nice to have a heavy layer duck that can still perform as an acceptable table duck. I look at runners and I can't see them even being worth the effort to pluck!

 

[mairead]

This is my welsh harlequin with his buddies. I love him so much.

 

[jdywntr]

A domestic duck/drake is highly unlikely to run away. Stolen, scared off by or taken by a predator are much higher possibilities.

Where was he when he disappeared and when did you last see him?

 

[tbitt]

How to tell the 2 colors apart as babies:



Ducklings are dunn colored with a slight blushing of black (silver phase) or brown (gold phase) on their heads. Welsh Harlequins can be sexed right after hatching with about a 90% accuracy. Take a look at their bill color within the first 3 days and note that a your girls will have pink bills and boys will be darker. Silver phase will have a dark silver coloring on the head and Gold phase is a pretty golden-brown.

Also, boys have all dark bills and girls have pinker bills (this you have to catch in the first 3 days because the bill colors change fast)


Silver boy (grey head, dark bill) Gold girl (brown head, pink bill)

 

[Muse7]

My first five ducks came from Dana at Moose Manor. She is really great. She gets all or almost all her stock from Holdereade (sp).
The WH hen I got from her is an excellent layer and sweet as you please. The Blue runner hen I got has already out laid the predictions of most of the
"this is how many eggs a Runner hen will lay". The drake WH. we got from her is featured in my side pick before he molted. He looks nothing like his old pic. Beautiful black and green head with white penciling around his eyes. The other drake I got was a mix of Cayuga and WH, bu he came out all Cayuga in appearance.

She has been fabulous to speak with and run ideas past, etc. If you're close enough to her location in MD, it's worth considering her for future duckling purchases.

Best,

Liz