Welsh Harlequin

[holm25]

Is this a Welsh??????

 

[Muse7]

Those are probably Silver phase WH hens. that's what they look like.
The one with the dark head is pretty light for a drake. Probably will feather out
lighter and a soft kind of red/brown. Or, it will make a complete liar of me and turn dark brown or
green and be a drake.

Best of luck

Liz

 

[seasprite]

Oh Donna, I'm so so sorry It sounds like Joy had a happy life with you.

 

[ibarbidahl]

Oh poo. I was hoping for a different outcome for your duck LightningT! :-(

OK- So I definitely ended up with 4 drakes out of my hatch...I have picked the 2 that I will be eliminating from my breeding pen. One has feminine coloring as a juve and the other has a very light colored head. I want to eliminate both of those things in my (future) ducklings. But, now I have to buy a few more ducklings to try to get the girls I need. I am also purchasing a gold duck (older, laying age) as well. Is it true that if you have a silver drake over a gold hen the progeny will all be silver?

Once the new ducklings (due to hatch July 4) are old enough to lay I can put her out on the pond.

 

[northernlivie]

I finally am posting a picture of the three ladies I have from hatching this spring. Supposedly all three are female welsh harlequins but I noticed that the two with shadowy heads have the coloured wing bars but Sweet Pea who has a mallard looking head has none! Is that normal to have such variety?

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[ibarbidahl]

@farmgirl360 Definitely looks like one of each to me! By now you might be able to see a green sheen to some of those feather on the darker ones head. They look about 10-12 weeks?

Northernlivie: I'd say give it a week or two. They are just developing them now and haven't grown out all the way just yet. It will be interesting to see the next few weeks with yours as the one with the dark head has a stripe of darker feathers around the bill. That is how all my boys started. Good Luck! Stuning pics, btw!

Holm25: Doesn't look it to me but I couldn't tell you what it does look like...Roen maybe? In eclipse phase?

 

[northernlivie]

@farmgirl360
 Definitely looks like one of each to me! By now you might be able to see a green sheen to some of those feather on the darker ones head. They look about 10-12 weeks?

Northernlivie: I'd say give it a week or two. They are just developing them now and haven't grown out all the way just yet. It will be interesting to see the next few weeks with yours as the one with the dark head has a stripe of darker feathers around the bill. That is how all my boys started. Good Luck! Stuning pics, btw!

Holm25: Doesn't look it to me but I couldn't tell you what it does look like...Roen maybe? In eclipse phase?

Thanks! They love our big ole pond. They hatched April 16th so are 11 weeks old now. The guy sexed them so they should all be females.....lol. Surprisingly "Midnight" the one with the darkest head is the loudest and has the deepest voice. I am totally curious now. Sweet Pea, the mallard striped head, definitely has no colour on her wings. I snuggled up to her last night at the feeder to stretch and inspect her wings. Maybe she is a special one! Lol.

 

[northernlivie]

 

[Muse7]

One of my girls doesn't have a speculum color bar on her wing either.
She two is a little on the Mallardish markings side. She still lays eggs
pretty well. Not my best layer, but I don't think that has anything to do
with the color bar being absent.

Best,

Liz

 

[northernlivie]

One of my girls doesn't have a speculum color bar on her wing either.  
She two is a little on the Mallardish markings side.  She still lays eggs 
pretty well.  Not my best layer, but I don't think that has anything to do
with the color bar being absent.

Best,

Liz

Thanks! I guess I won't worry so much anymore about her. Can't wait to see how they lay.