Welsh Harlequin Questions

[Welshies]

Hi, I am looking to restart my duck flock and have some questions.
1) Do you have a picture of you holding a Welsh Harlequin or one beside a bucket (size reference)?
2) Can you eat them? How much meat is on them when dressed compared to a chicken? How many does one serve?
3) Will they incubate their own eggs?
4) Without lights, will they lay all year around or lostly in spring, summer, and fall?

 

[Pyxis]

1. Not next to a bucket or holding them, but I do have these.

This is a WH drake in a pool with a pekin and a mallard. Since you told me in another thread you've owned a lot of mallards hopefully this helps you compare.

Two females next to a standard size cat litter box (being used as a nesting box).

If these don't help I can get some other comparison pictures for you.

2. Yes. They have white down so they also have a nice clean carcass look like pekins. I haven't ever actually dressed one out so I'm not sure about how many they will serve.

3. Yep, they are very good mothers.

4. They stop laying in the winter like most breeds if you don't give them supplemental light.

 

[lomine]

I don't have a size reference picture but my WH hens are all around 5 pounds. I can't offer personal knowledge on questions 2 or 4. I just wanted to share that mine are 11 months old. All 3 have gone broody this summer, one has done it twice. So I don't think you'll have a problem getting them to hatch their own eggs.

 

[Welshies]

1. Not next to a bucket or holding them, but I do have these.

This is a WH drake in a pool with a pekin and a mallard. Since you told me in another thread you've owned a lot of mallards hopefully this helps you compare.


Two females next to a standard size cat litter box (being used as a nesting box).


If these don't help I can get some other comparison pictures for you.

2. Yes. They have white down so they also have a nice clean carcass look like pekins. I haven't ever actually dressed one out so I'm not sure about how many they will serve.

3. Yep, they are very good mothers.

4. They stop laying in the winter like most breeds if you don't give them supplemental light.

Okay, the size reference works well but a few other pics would be good too.
They're probably around the same size as a production Rouen, right (females 5-6 pounds, males 5.5-6.5 pounds)?

 

[Pyxis]

They're actually a light class duck - females are 4.5 - 5 pounds and males are 5 - 5.5 pounds.

 

[Welshies]

They're actually a light class duck - females are 4.5 - 5 pounds and males are 5 - 5.5 pounds.

I know, but that's not a lot of difference. Production Rouens are different than the deep-keeled "standard" Rouen. P Rouens lay 100-180 eggs a year and look like a mallard, and are smaller than their 7-9 pound counterparts.

 

[Pyxis]

I know, but that's not a lot of difference. Production Rouens are different than the deep-keeled "standard" Rouen. P Rouens lay 100-180 eggs a year and look like a mallard, and are smaller than their 7-9 pound counterparts.

Yep! I just wanted to give you the weights since you asked

 

[Welshies]

Yep! I just wanted to give you the weights since you asked

I appreciate it! Just touchy because someone totally blew up at me the other day! Oh, the downsides of BYC....

 

[Pyxis]

I appreciate it! Just touchy because someone totally blew up at me the other day! Oh, the downsides of BYC....

Tell me about it. Meanwhile I have brand new posters telling people asking for help incubating to ignore mine and another's member's advice - even though the person saying this had never even hatched eggs. I don't know what's going on lately, I'm seeing a lot of this behavior.

 

[Welshies]

Tell me about it. Meanwhile I have brand new posters telling people asking for help incubating to ignore mine and another's member's advice - even though the person saying this had never even hatched eggs. I don't know what's going on lately, I'm seeing a lot of this behavior.

Yes, I think the problem is is that these people get a hand on the books available and think they know everything. They get overexcited there's a "bird social media" and start to get cocky. Just my two bits