Welsh Harlequin

[lakota_elder]

Check craigslist for ducks.... there is a guy in Lake Butler that has quite a few (decent) and he sells for about $15 per duck... he runs ads all the time...

 

[Big Dreamer]

Ive been checking craiglist and only the one is the guy i was talking about...where are you located? im in merritt island, where the shuttle goes of, well not much anymore, but yeah, how far away is lake butler, im only a teenager. TEENAGE DUCK-LOVERS!! sorry as i was saying im only a teenager, so i dont know where that is...Help?oh and what kinda ducks you got, i have 6 muscovies and 1 pekin...just wanted to know because your a fellow floridian and you actuallly close by!!

 

[lakota_elder]

The best way to find out where someone is located and how far away they are from you is to use MapQuest. Just log in your adddress and the city and state and it will give you the direction, milage and time it takes to get there.. That way you have an idea of the trip and can figure out your cost of travel....

 

[Big Dreamer]

I'm sorry, I have to keep this thread alive! I love welsh harlequins soooo much and even though i don't have any i REALLY want some, so BUMB!!!!
There I did it, I feel better!

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

So what's keeping you from getting any.

Right now I have seven laying WH ducks, two mature WH drakes, and a young drake out of this summer's hatch. And as the Silkie is broody again, I put a couple of WH duck eggs under her, as we get eggs from them every single day.
I love my duckies.

 

[pirtykitty]

My Welsh harlequin duck is almost 17 months old and is just finishing her first molt. How long before she starts laying again????

 

[Big Dreamer]

Well Ozark, For one im only 13 and i have to talk my parents into it, they say yes, but their are no WH around me and they wont let me get from metzer and i would have to get rid of some of my muscovies first, and then it would just be a big hassle to get them to agree to let me get them in general and then if i did get them they would probably end up being adults when i get them and what i want is duckling only days old becauseive never raised any ducklings from dat olds, i havent even touch a day old duckling and ive only raised 9 from fledgling and 2 i had to give up for noise, so i got muscovies, and then i dont know if WH are loud because some people say they are horribly loud and other say they can be but usually arent!!! so im sad

 

[vicki2x2]

Approximate how old were everyones ducks when they started laying? I doubt mine will start this year, since they were hatched in June, but just curious.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Mine were hatched in May and they started laying last week...been laying every day since they started.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Quote:
What about getting a half dozen or so eggs shipped to you? Granted, the shipping process can cause a lower the hatch rate, but even if you only get a couple out of the hatch, that will get you started. I had a batch that ended with only one duckling hatched, but the hen was just as happy with her one baby as she has been a dozen, and maybe even happier as she didn't have them going in all different directions and could easily cover the one as it grew. You do know that the males can't quack, don't you? They just grumble and whisper. The females purr and putt a lot, but usually don't make any loud quacks or racket unless something really upsets or scares them. I know if my girls sound off, we go out with a gun...that is, unless they are just announcing company.

Anyway, if you hatch out them in an incubator, then you do have to deal with brooding them, but then we brooded a dozen ducklings in a large rubbermaid container in the living room last winter without any problem. That's why if you are just wanting one or two of various types of birds, it's a good idea to have a little Silkie bantam hen around as they make great moms (and great PETS!) and will hatch out anything - chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese - you name it, and they are almost always broody. And a Silkie will be the best mom if you let her hatch out between 4 and 6 eggs. Any more than that and it's hard for her to keep the entire brood warm as they are growing. In saying that, we got one Silkie that hates to see her babies grow up. It's funny, yet kind of sad, to see her trying to get a half dozen 4-month old "ducklings" under her, even though they are all waaaay bigger than she is.