Welsh Harlequin

[Zombified]

Super cute, VTRN! But I'm not sure how to tell if it's not strictly pink with a black tip, or dark. Hopefully someone with more experience can help you out.

 

[maryhysong]

I have been forgetting to mark them at hatch but the ones with real dark heads turn out to be boys; some of mine had mixed color bills too, but I didn't mark them so don't know which way they went. When they lose their down and get real feathers it's easier to tell.

 

[VTRN]

Thanks for the replies! The two babies with the lighter bills have yellowish heads and the one who I hope is a male has a black bill and very dark head so hopefully I have the ratio I wanted! They are just the sweetest little ducklings!

 

[Zombified]

Keep us updated on the littles!

 

[DaisyMeadow]

Well, I thought I'd share my babies with you guys. I've been told that they don't exactly look much like WHs, which would really break my heart, since that's what I really wanted. I'll still keep them no matter what they are, of course. Just hoping you guys might be able to tell. They're still little, only six days, but maybe really experienced Welsh Harlequin people can tell.

I'm not "really experienced" as I have only had WHs since January, and my adults were given to me and are of unknown origin. But they look a lot like the babies I have been hatching for the last month or so. So I'd say you're on the right track.

Super cute babies!

 

[Zombified]

I think it's because of Thoth that people question. He's really really dark and I think his little head might be a touch disfigured(nothing serious; he eats and drinks and dives and swims like the others, and he gets better each time I give him vitamins, which he gets once a day).

It's good to know they look normal. The adults at the breeder's farm looked like good quality Wels Harlequins. Fantastic colors(I remember seeing a couple gold phases too) and sleek bodies. They walked horizontal(sort of; their heads were up watching me because he let me go in). And the lady was concerned when I told her about Thoth and she asked me how to make it so something like this doesn't happen again.

Lol the more I talk, the more I'd like to buy from them again. XD Siiiigh. But their birds came from eFowl, and I've heard bad things from eFowl.

 

[Muse7]

4 of them look like they could be Welsh Harlequins, but that mottled dark one isn't a Welsh. It might be a mix, I had a drake that was half Welsh Harlequin and half Cayuga that looked like that.
That doesn't mean its that mix, though, because, often mixes revert back to the mallard patterns.

Best of luck,

Liz

 

[Zombified]

Liz,

That's Pyrrhos. She's a Mallard. We actually found her, and couldn't find her mother or siblings anywhere. Ironically, this wild-hatched baby is a lot more tame than the Welsh Harlequins lolol.

 

[Weezy58]

So happy to find the Welsh Harlequin page! We got our first WHs last weekend and think they're so pretty and fun to watch. They're very frightened, though, at age eight weeks. The breeder we got them from said he hadn't handled them at all, so I guess we can't expect them to be as calm as our Swedish which we hand raised from day one. We've been giving them treats and then holding them quietly for a couple of minutes after they stop freaking out. Will they ever get reasonably calm? Any tips would be welcome!

Also, right now we're keeping them separate from our Swedish. Thought it would be good to let them all get used to each other and let the Harlequins grow for a few more weeks. There's one WH drake and three ducks. Sure hope the drake and our Swedish drake don't get into it too much...

 

[pips&peeps]

Your new ducks look like they are crossed with something.