Welsh Harlequin

[Ryan521]

Try browsing for snowy calls. They're pure calls but with the welsh color. Edited never mind me I just figured out snowy is silver appleyard coloring.

 

[nayeli]

@rayray let us know how it goes!

 

[Muse7]

Welsh Harlequins will lay well for about 5 years, provided your not pushing them with Winter light. Then they start to
slow down, but will still be decent layers for about another year or two (compared to most chickens). Life expectancy is 10 to 15 years.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I have two WH that are going on 8 years old and they are still laying on a pretty regular basis - providing more than enough to do my weekly baking. I never do supplemental lighting or anything during the winter to keep them laying. in fact, they have been raised naturally since the day they hatched, and have been allowed to free range both day and night most all of their lives. Although for the past two weeks I have been shutting everything up in the barn at night, as there is a family of raccoons that have been "visiting" and I don't want to risk losing any of my critters to their dinner. I'm hoping that the raccoons will soon realize that they only thing they are going to get from my property is harassment from the dogs, and that they are better off to just move on down the road. And as soon as the coast is clear, my ducks will be free to resume feasting on slugs and snails during the night again.

 

[laughingdog]

There are already mini silver appleyards. becoming quite popular, but i don't get the appeal. now welsh color mutation bred back to runner ducks.. that id be interested in seeing. also seen Australian spotted ducks that have color mutation of welshs.

 

[seasprite]

Hi!

I've been going through this thread looking at photos to compare to the ducks I just brought home, and I've learned a lot about keeping ducks, but I'm still not sure what I have!

Their previous owner said they were 5 month old females, one Welsh Harlequin and one Rouen. I texted her after bringing them home to ask if if she knew their hatch date, so I could celebrate their birthdays, and she said February 1. Which is 11 weeks ago, not five months, so... she isn't really sure of what she told me.. and now that I'm looking through the photos here, it looks like only the male Harlequins have yellow beaks at five months - is that right? And I couldn't find a photo at 11 weeks. She did say the Harlequin just started laying, but she has two other ducks, so could be mistaken. It seems really unlikely that they both hatched on the same day too.

Can anyone tell what these sweetiepies are?




Thanks!

April

 

[nayeli]

the one in the back MIGHT be a welsh harlequin but the one in front doesn't seem to be!

 

[IridescentPals]

The one in front sure looks like a Rouen Duck. http://www.cacklehatchery.com/rouenpage.html and the one in back a young Welsh Harlequin Gold phase.

 

[clairalucypipa]

I agree, the one in the front looks like a rouen. I have one my self and it looks similar to her.

 

[seasprite]

Thanks you guys!

The one in front was advertised as a Rouen, and from Irisdescent's link (THANK YOU - that was really helpful!) it definitely looks like a female.

AND I just read on another thread that the gold WH's don't have sex-linked bill color - is that true? That would explain it! So she (please be a she please be a she) could be a she.

Do you have any sense of how old either of them is?

They are both so sweet and playful, I'm in love!