Welsh harlequins...Male? Female? Ugh help!

[DuckyDonna]

These could still turn out to be to Drakes I'm not saying they can't be...
there is a little window of time when their voice changes from their baby peep to either there quack or the rest that is fairly hard to tell it can go either way. But when I listen to the video again I am sure that was a quack at the end. a drake will typically never make a quack sound they go from a peep to a whistle type sound to a frog like sound.

I thought I heard a definite quack at the end too!

 

[Ray123]

I hear a definite female QUACK near the end of the video. Not sure which one made the sound, but one is definitely female.

that was the one on the ground

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

Can't see the vid for some reason but from the pics, one is deffo a very handsome boy

 

[nao57]

So, I’m new to ducks, but I also have Welsh harlequins, and I spend A LOT of time looking at pictures of these ducks. I’ve read that the bill is a pretty good giveaway, of course when they are little, but also as they age. Females should have a dark bill, males have a lighter (yellow-ish) bill.
So my off the cuff, take it for what it’s worth guess, is one of each.
Our ducks were sexed by Metzer as female, granted not 100% guarantee that’s the case, but they look more or less like yours. One has a darker head than the other, but the general coloring is similar. But I don’t think their coloring at this age is a give-away. Both of mine have black bills though, but I’m not sure if that will continue to change as that age. They also both are starting to quack.

I’ve added a gratuitous photo of Rhubarb and Custard because ducks View attachment 2245549

I also had heard people saying that welsh harlequinn is a cool breed that can show the gender by how the beak/bill looks even at young age. I even saw this on a hatchery website (don't remember which one).

To me this sounds like a really cool feature for a breed to have this.

(Having said this I don't have welsh Harlequinns. But I am interested in them now because of it.)

 

[21hens-incharge]

I also had heard people saying that welsh harlequinn is a cool breed that can show the gender by how the beak/bill looks even at young age. I even saw this on a hatchery website (don't remember which one).

To me this sounds like a really cool feature for a breed to have this.

(Having said this I don't have welsh Harlequinns. But I am interested in them now because of it.)

Bill color sexing is (from what I read) about 70-80% accurate at hatch. Then as they mature the bill colors flip flop so the females end up with a dark bill and males a lighter bill. Again that is not 100% but better than 50-50.

I bought 6 females and one male. The hatchery colored he males head with blue to mark him (nice added confirmation). They were clear til about 6 days old then the bills started to change. Now as grown-ish birds the bills of 5 females are dark and beautiful....one is lighter in bill color. The drake developed a nice olive type green to his bill. I am very happy with the quality of my birds from Cackle.

 

[nao57]

Bill color sexing is (from what I read) about 70-80% accurate at hatch. Then as they mature the bill colors flip flop so the females end up with a dark bill and males a lighter bill. Again that is not 100% but better than 50-50.

I bought 6 females and one male. The hatchery colored he males head with blue to mark him (nice added confirmation). They were clear til about 6 days old then the bills started to change. Now as grown-ish birds the bills of 5 females are dark and beautiful....one is lighter in bill color. The drake developed a nice olive type green to his bill. I am very happy with the quality of my birds from Cackle.

Very cool!

Thanks.

They seem interesting. How do you feel about their egg production?

I'd also heard they are less nervous than khakis...but I don't know if that's true.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Very cool!

Thanks.

They seem interesting. How do you feel about their egg production?

I'd also heard they are less nervous than khakis...but I don't know if that's true.

Mine are still babies. Hatch date was April 1,2020. No eggs yet for us.
I would say look at what the hatchery lists and use that as a rough estimate for production.

Mine are pretty skittish but I was not able to spend much time with them the first 2 months. They are coming around slowly.

 

[nao57]

Mine are still babies. Hatch date was April 1,2020. No eggs yet for us.
I would say look at what the hatchery lists and use that as a rough estimate for production.

Mine are pretty skittish but I was not able to spend much time with them the first 2 months. They are coming around slowly.

Is that how it is for others and others breeds, around 2 months being less skittish, and more approachable?

Thanks.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Is that how it is for others and others breeds, around 2 months being less skittish, and more approachable?

Thanks.

My original ducks were decades ago. We were able to spend a lot more time with them when they were young. They were very friendly.
I think these are skittish because I couldn't spend that time when they needed it. They are getting a lot better about it and I think given a couple more months they will be good as gold.

They are gorgeous birds.