Welsh Harlequin

[hokankai]

Our young Harlequins have really impressed us during this crazy cold spell. Here the temperature was -15, and they were choosing to play in a pail of water rather than stay snug in their shed. Our Swedish wouldn't even come outside, and we thought they'd be the most cold hardy. We plan to get more Welshies this spring!

 

[bobby33]

Thanks for the reply hokankai, I've been reading about WH on here and the opinions vary a lot so I just thought I would see if anyone would take a guess

 

[Muse7]

Sexing WH by color as ducklings is really only about 90% maybe 95% accurate, if you have been doing it for a while and then only within 2 to 5 (at the outside) days.
Source also does come into play. If you have reliably gotten ducklings from a breeder that started with Holderread ducks or from the Preserve, it is much more likely that they will
be able to be sexed by head and bill color. If not, you don't know what mixing has been.

Your Franky does seem to be a Welsh Harlequin, but I would agree that the other seems to have Ancona coloring.

The best way to sex, although not the safest, is still checking them to see if there is a little cork screw started.

Best of luck.

Liz

 

[bobby33]

I'm in Australia and I got my ducklings from a local duck farm. The lady there breeds quite a few different varieties of ducks. As the ducklings were all mixed in together (aside from muscovy's which were separate) I don't really know about any cross breeding or coloration mixes. It doesn't really matter to me as long as they are healthy

The more I look at Miffy the more I'm convinced he is an Ancona. I'm not too sure but I think he will be multi-colored as he he has different shades of patches to him.

If luck is with me, and I have a duck and a drake will they breed?

 

[Muse7]

Most likely. What you will really be hoping for is pair bonding, with one duck and one drake. A lot of the domesticated drakes seem to have lost their instinct to take on a single mate, as their Mallard ancestry dictates. They can be somewhat brutal to a single female if the two do not bond. But if you are raising them together, hopefully it will be a successful bond and he will be happy with one hen.

That would be an interesting mix Welshy and Ancona. I'd like to hear how that goes, if you did get a duck and a drake. Curious what kind of bird you'll get. Multi-purpose, meat or layers.

Best,

Liz

 

[bobby33]

Yes I suppose that is what I would really want
I'm not sure it counts whey they're this young but they are inseparable. So maybe they will be ok. Miffy (Ancona) seems to be the more dominant one.
For me, neither of them will be for meat that's for sure

I will definitely post on here if they have little duckling's they will be very pretty.

Thanks Liz

 

[cigarmitch]

Here are my two adults. Got them as little ducklings and didn't know the sex until their adult feathers came in. Now they are the happiest couple in the world. Wyatt (right) is very quick to let me know the water is below his liking and Josephine (left) loves to wander between the food and the water. Recently they were moved to the side garden where the cherry tomato bush got out of hand and they have had quite the time finding all those hidden gems. It has turned colder around here, getting down to the upper teens and they still love to be outside. Christmas day they got some pea treats and then napped in the sun with a temp of 25. So yeah, they aren't afraid of cold. Josephine still lays an egg a day when all the other poultry in my area has stopped. She is a real treat!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here are my two adults. Got them as little ducklings and didn't know the sex until their adult feathers came in. Now they are the happiest couple in the world. Wyatt (right) is very quick to let me know the water is below his liking and Josephine (left) loves to wander between the food and the water. Recently they were moved to the side garden where the cherry tomato bush got out of hand and they have had quite the time finding all those hidden gems. It has turned colder around here, getting down to the upper teens and they still love to be outside. Christmas day they got some pea treats and then napped in the sun with a temp of 25. So yeah, they aren't afraid of cold. Josephine still lays an egg a day when all the other poultry in my area has stopped. She is a real treat!

Boy are they a handsome couple.

 

[cigarmitch]

Well THANK YOU!!! I am happy with them. Hopefully come spring they will be parents!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well THANK YOU!!! I am happy with them. Hopefully come spring they will be parents!

Something nice to look forward to.