Welsh Harlequins?

[bufforp89]

I was on the metzer website looking at ducks for spring and the welsh harlequins caught my eye. I really love their coloration and they just sound like a good all around duck. Does anyone have any? Do they sit on eggs well like the metzer site says they do? If anyone has any first hand info or pics that they could share with me it would be apprecited!

 

[pirtykitty]

I have welsh harlequins that I ordered from Metzers in May.. They are great.. I got two females and a male.. their names are Daisy, Amy and Stanley.. there are several others on here who have Welsh harlequins also.. Mine are quiet, and calm... Daisy is the talker in the mornings.. She has calmed down about wanting to be let out ASaP and waits for me to come out about 8 or 9 am and let them out of predator safe raised pen.. Daisy and Stanley will eat out of my hand. Amy is standoffish.. But coming around.. she forgets herself sometimes and grabs a couple nibbles out of my hand then remembers and scoots off. lol.. Metzers only has the silver color phase of Wh. There is another breeder called Holderreads who has both the gold and the Silver phase WH.. But you have to order 10 ducklings.. Metzers will ship as few as two.. ducklings.

 

[rainplace]

oh oh oh... I just got two WH ducklings from Metzers yesterday.

I got them because I heard they have a better chance at going broody than a lot of other domestic ducks, and I didn't have a good muscovy experience. Of course I won't know for sure late next year. Someone else can better answer that... I just wanted to show off my new babies

 

[bufforp89]

I decided to just go ahead and get them from Metzers. I ordered Khakis from them last year and they were great. I think Im going to order 10 females to go with my 2 khaki drakes and 2 khaki hens that I have left. Thanks for the replys!/

 

[MDC]

A word of caution about hatchery ducklings, if you want a bird that is uniform w/ the breed's standard as a general rule I would choose instead to buy from a breeder who works on keeping their birds true to the standard.

 

[pirtykitty]

Holderreads breeds to standard.. here is there link.. you can also email them to send you a catalog . it will come in Febuary.

http://www.holderreadfarm.com/

 

[MDC]

Yes, I didn't think to mention that as a general rule Holderreads do try to breed towards the standard.

 

[topeka]

Hello,

I purchased 20 WH ducks from Estes last spring. I wanted to see if they would out produce chickens (eggs). I have been very

happy with the ducks. The seem hardier that the chickens. I don't think I lost any to disease ( but I think 2 choked to death????).

They never try to get out of the pen. They do not pick at each other like chickens do. They are messy!. Whenever they find water they

MUST make it muddy water. The eggs are larger that my chickens and have a thicker shell. Flavor is about the same. They like to lay the

eggs on the floor instead of using the nesting box which is a pain.

 

[MDC]

You can encourage them to lay where you want them usually by simply placing a golf ball or a plaster of paris egg in the boxes you want them to lay in. Usually the young birds or the first few eggs might be laid in odd spots but after that they'll begin laying where they're supposed to most of the time.

 

[Bleenie]

My scovy girls jump up in the chickes nest boxes to lay, I imagine other types of duck would also though.