Changes: Drakes & Ducks

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin

There have been lots of changes!  The ducks are six weeks old now, they’re getting bigger and adding more feathers every day.  It’s interesting to watch how the feathers are growing out, particularly on the wings.  When they stand up and stretch out their wings, I get a better idea of where each of the different types of feathers start, and how they fold up neatly when not in use.

Two of the ducks (female), 5 1/2 weeks old

The drakes and ducks are easy to tell apart now.  The drakes have much more color all over. The back area above the tail is darker on the drakes and shows a different pattern.  I don’t know if you can tell in these pictures, but it’s quite obvious.  The ducks are quacking quite loudly now, but the drakes still peep.  It’s a louder peep, but still a peep.  Oh, the “mystery”, Whitey, is quite clearly still peeping and therefore, a drake.

One of the drakes (male), 5 1/2 weeks old

Our plan all along was to butcher the drakes.  At first we thought we’d be brave and adventurous and do it
ourselves.  Then we found out about a poultry processing plant nearby that does them, packages them up and freezes them, and we thought that would save us the effort.  Then we found out that they no longer do ducks.  Now we aren’t so sure we want to go to the effort of learning to do it ourselves, so we’ve put the drakes up for sale on craigslist.  So far, there have been no responses.  From the reading I’ve done, it sounds like the best time for butchering will be in another 2-3 weeks or so.  We’ve been so busy, I don’t know that we need another project, but I guess it’ll have to be done, and we may have to do it.

I was realizing that for centuries, probably the majority of families did this kind of thing themselves all the time.  It was probably only the few wealthiest folks who didn’t.  We’ve gotten so disconnected with our food sources!  I think it’s good to have a better recognition of where our food comes from…the garden, the fowl and animals…and appreciate what our Creator has given us.  Thanking Him for the provision of our food will take on new meaning as we butcher our own.

It’s kind of nice that the drakes are just “the drakes” en masse, and I don’t think losing them will be a problem.   …Then there’s Whitey.  I can’t help it.  He is just too cute and too different from the others, I want to keep him.  He’s fatter and slower and easier to catch than the rest.  He sits down a lot, and the others step on him frequently.  I’ve decided to keep him around, at least for a while, so I guess it’ll be “Whitey and the girls”.  I want to see what he’s like as a bigger duck.  I want to keep in mind that he may very well become dinner, and may nickname him “Thanksgiving”, but we’ll see as time goes on.

Whitey (“Thanksgiving”?) – 5 1/2 weeks old

Four Quackers and a Mystery

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
Which are drakes, and which are ducks?  Which are Golden?

I’m placing bets that we have four females, with one other still undetermined.  Four of the Welsh Harlequins have begun to quack, the feathers on their wings and sides are all a little lighter than the others, and their bills are a bit darker.  We’ll have a better idea as time goes on, but that’s my best guess right now.  Four layers will be good–we wanted at least three.  Of the two Goldens, I think one is a drake, the other a duck.

Whitey, the White Appleyard

The mystery is our White Appleyard, Whitey, who is clearly different than the others, not only in appearance, but in behavior as well.  Whitey sits down a lot–while he’s eating, drinking, or just while all the others are walking about.  Often during eating time, he eats a little then goes off to the side and sits.  For as big as he is, much larger than all the others, it’s surprising that he doesn’t seem to eat as much.  He doesn’t participate in all the same activities as the others, and often stays off to the side or is slower to join in.  He gets stepped on an awful lot by the others–they just step right over him while he sits.  He’s still peeping, which could mean he’s a drake, or could be that this breed is slower in developing the quack of a duck.

This One’s For Calvin (Charlie, too!)

by with One Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
I hear that my niece’s three year old son, Calvin, enjoys seeing the photos and videos of the ducklings.  Here’s a video for Calvin and his big brother Charlie.  Actually, it’s the best video yet.  It shows all the typical things the ducklings do.  It’s a bit long, but hang in there, the best part is near the end when all the ducklings run.
First the ducklings are eat their lunch.
They eat some, then they walk to the pool to drink and swim. 
One of them goes to the shade shelter.
Whitey sits down and stays put.
One of them trips trying to get in the pool.
Whitey is a bit bothered when somebody steps on him.
See how much bigger Whitey is than all the others!
The ones in the pool dunk their heads, bathe and swim.
One of the ducks quacks—is it a female?  (The females quack the loudest.)
All get out but one.
They go under the shelter, then they all head back to the food.
Watch them run!!
Whitey waddles over to join them.
The last one in the pool feels left out and runs quickly to join the others.
Isn’t it funny to watch them run???

Duck Paddock

by with One Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
Duck House & Paddock from window

Tim has finished our deluxe duck paddock, where the ducks can forage and lounge predator-free.  The photo was taken from our living room window, so we get a nice view of them from the house.  A true engineer, he planned the whole thing out, and with a few changes of plan along the way, it’s done.  Now we can let the cat out while the ducks are outside!  There’s no way she can get in.

The ducks can go freely in and out of their house during the day, but we’ll still lock them inside at night.  Eventually we’ll put a perimeter fence around the larger yard, where we’ll let them “free range” when we’re home, but for now there is just enough electric wire to keep the horses out, which you can see in the rear view picture.

Rear View of Paddock

Also, in the rear photo you can see a shade area for the ducks.  There isn’t much shade out there mid-morning, so we’ll be constructing some sort of larger shade roof like this that will be permanent.  In the afternoon there’s nice shade under the trees.

We have a larger pool for them, but before we put that up we need to put a drain plug into it to make it easier to clean out.  That’ll be in the next few days.  Until then, all ten ducklings still fit in this pool, just barely.  As you can see, we’re sure having fun with our ducklings!

Male, Female, Gold, Silver

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin

All along I’ve been watching these ducklings grow and exhibit different coloring, wondering which are female and which are male.  Aside from Whitey, who is getting much larger, lighter and whither, two have been more pale than the others, and I’ve wondered if they may be two females.  Most have a lot of dark grey on their backs, but these two are more bronze.  I finally figured out that these bronze ones must be the “Golden” Welsh Harlequins, and the rest would be the “Silver” Welsh Harlequins.

Of the two Goldens, I’m quite sure at this point that one is a female, as she’s developed quite a quack.  This one is also a bit lighter, particularly on the wings, than the other Golden, so I’m guessing that one may be a male.

Of the remaining seven Silvers, at least one was quacking.  Some have lighter yellow-greenish bills than the others, so I’m guessing the darker-billed ones are females, three or four of them.

Time will tell, of course, but it’s fun for me to try to guess how many will be ducks or drakes, which will lay eggs for us and which will be dinner.  Of course, Whitey’s a wild card and will be all white.  I suppose we’ll know soon enough by the voice.  So far, Whitey is still peeping like the others.

Golden Welsh Harlequin Duck – Four Weeks (She Quacks)

Four Weeks: Feathers & Quacking

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The ducklings are four weeks old now and have begun to display noticeable feathers on their wings.  Some of their tails are a little more pronounced.  I’m wondering if those are the males—they are also the darker ducklings, for the most part.

We’ve been hearing the first sound more like a “quack” coming out of one of the ducklings.  We aren’t sure who, but one’s voice has definitely changed.  We decided to get some colored leg markers so we can tell the difference between them and note their personalities.  

Four Weeks Old


Duck Routine

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
We’ve got the routine down for now.  The ducklings eat three times a day, all they can eat in 15 minutes each meal, which for the ten of them is a little over two cups of their feed.  After they eat, they often go over to the pool to drink more water and dip their heads in, and often jump in for a dip.  Perhaps they like to clean off.  It’s true—ducks are messy.  They go back and forth from the food to the waterer, drench the ground around the water so it gets muddy, and they often drink up the water from the mud.  They often plop down in the mud as they drink.  Food and mud all get into the waterer, which gets cleaned at least once, sometimes twice a day.  It would be more frequent if they didn’t also have the pool to drink from.  They stand around the edge of the pool and stretch their necks to drink, or jump up on the bricks I have around part of the pool, where they can reach in more easily.  Sometimes I give them some chopped up lettuce or spinach and throw it in the pool, and then they enjoy snatching it up out of the water.  They’re getting so that when they see or hear me coming, they all stand up and peep for food, flapping their little wings for emphasis.
Each morning we let them out for the day, open up the air vents along the top of the house, and switch the door from its glass window to its screen inset.  The heat lamps are on a timer; on at night, off during the day.  It’s still quite cool some nights.  I have to remember to put the cat in the house whenever the ducks are outside.  We wouldn’t want to have an altercation until the ducks are big enough to intimidate the cat.
Every other day I’m cleaning out their house, which means lifting the wire mesh frames we have for them to stand on, hosing them off, and hosing off the cement floor and scraping it to get the poop out.  Every other day I’m also dumping the pool water, rinsing the pool and refilling it.
Soon we’ll finish the duck house and paint it cute.  For now it’s functional.  Tim’s current task is to construct the enclosed paddock area we have planned, with fencing to keep predators out (including the cat) and ducks in.  When that’s done, we’ll feel comfortable leaving them outside when we aren’t home.

Ducklings Keep Growing

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin

I have a lot of updating to do!  The ducklings are getting bigger and we’re having lots of fun watching them grow and eat and swim.  We’ve been taking photos and videos, so I’ll be posting some of those and post-dating some blog posts to fill in the progress on the ducks, their house and some thoughts chronologically.  So, stay tuned–by going backwards!  Meanwhile, here are some up-to-date photos.

Pool Time 1

Pool Time 2

Duck Yard & Pool

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
The duck house & small temporary yard are working out nicely.  The ducks have been fine outside, and know they can go back in the house when they want to, so we’ve decided to leave them outside pretty much all day now, as long as we are home.  I am in the garden much of the time keeping an eye on them.  We’ve also taken the barrier off the pool, and allow them to go in when they want.  They usually go in after eating, to drink and bathe.  We also put up a chunk of plywood on blocks that they can sit under for shade, and they do seem to like it.
At first, only one or two would go in the pool.  They look so much alike it’s hard to tell if it’s the same one or two, of if they’re all taking turns, but I never see Whitey go in.  He does look much better now (see previous post), but he still seems less active than the others.
The ducklings are so cute in the pool.  They float, they dip their heads down and sometimes dive and swim under water, even though the pool is barely deep enough for them to do it.  They can actually stand on the bottom, or lift their legs and float.  They look so natural when they’re in the water—it’s quite evident that their bodies were made for it.  We have a step inside for them to use to get out more easily, but often they don’t bother with the step, they just jump out somehow and do a belly flop on the ground.  Often when they get out of the water, they stand up tall and flap their little wings.  Very cute.
The video is a little out of focus when zoomed in, but you’ll get the idea.

Three Weeks Old

by with No Comment DucksWelsh Harlequin
The ducklings are three weeks old now.  They’re getting so big!  We’re so glad we didn’t get them until June.  I cannot imagine having ten ducklings this size in our basement.  We had planned to get a larger box of some kind, or build something to keep them in down there, but with the smell and poop and trying to keep the thing clean it would have been quite difficult.
The ducklings’ down is beginning to change to small feathers, and most of them are getting darker on their backs.  (Whitey is getting lighter and creamier in color.)  Their tails are more pronounced, and the oil duct at the back of the tail is evident.  They rub their faces on it, then rub different parts of their body to groom and add the oil water-repellency to their feathers.  We wonder which are the drakes or ducks, and are hoping to have at least three ducks to lay eggs.  Their voices haven’t changed yet, they still peep and squeak.  
We get such a kick out of watching the ducks.  We keep a couple of chairs out there and sometimes just sit and watch.  We’ve doubled the size of their outside pen, to include the whole tree.  This way they can get shade under the tree at all times of the day, and they have more space to run around.  It is so funny to watch them waddle when they run!  Sometimes they run over each other or tumble.  One of them did a forward summersault when he got tripped by another!   One time as they were being herded in for the night, Whitey got pushed over by another duck and laid there on his back, feet waving in the air, peeping like crazy until he managed to roll over.  It was pretty comical.
Naptime