Paddleflap Ducks

21/10/2024

The integration of the three big saxonys with the flock of younger WH is going well, today we are almost hanging out together! 😄
It's nice to have them all down the duck yards at night, makes life easier. Hopefully in another week, the little ones will be big enough to make the move as well!

18/10/2024

Leg day!

24/09/2024

A whole new approach this season, breeding for quality not quantity, with just two pairs going into pens, and just a couple of small but successful hatches, the Saxony and Welsh harlequin are already finished, just the appleyards left
Looking forward to breeding being finished before the weather gets too hot!

16/08/2024

Another amazing season! Quieter than last year's madness, but very successful!

Toowoomba Royal:
Champion light - Welsh Harlequin drake

Moreton bay rare breeds
Res BoS, WoS and ch WH
Ch heavy AOV - Appleyard drake

My local ag show
Res WoS - WH duck
Res heavy - Saxony duck

Toowoomba poultry club show
Res light -
Res heavy - Appleyard drake

The NSW state show!
Res light - WH duck!!!
Ch standard Appleyard & Standard Saxony

Golden West waterfowl
Ch light & Rare breed - WH duck

Rosewood poultry club
Ch light - WH duck

09/06/2024

What an amazing weekend at the state show!
The ducks and I did our annual 1000km pilgrimage south for the biggest waterfowl show in the country and did fantastically!
Champion silver Appleyard (heavy)
Champion Saxony (heavy)
Champion Welsh Harlequin
Reserve champion light

2nd place - 6 white eggs (WH)
1st place - 6 tinted eggs (Saxony)

And even a third place in the art competition!!

Super stoked with how my ducks went!! First time winning above my breed at this show, and against some of the best duck exhibitors in the country, so I'm driving 1000kms home very happy indeed!

23/03/2024

And that's team Paddleflap 2024 duck edition sorted! Some nice young girls can't wait to get them out of about!

24/01/2024

The morning sprint (you'd think they never get let out, let alone let out everyday 🙄)

15/01/2024

Thanks for all the enquiries, but I will not have fertile eggs again until October at the earliest.

My ducks are enjoying some time free ranging and being ducks, rather than being locked up in pens!

01/12/2023

Growing pains ... When you get stuck in the mud like a turtle on its back

29/11/2023

So begins another breeders journey ❤️ Tasmanian paddleflaps!

22/11/2023

What a season, over 100 ducklings hatched (oops!) And a few more still on the way (oh dear!)

Very happy to report out of the eggs shipped to new breeders, 78% are viable, fingers crossed they all get good numbers hatch to start new little Welsh harlequin flocks in WA, SA, Tas & FNQ!

19/11/2023

Found this when I went to put the ducks to bed.
Happy to say she was successfully relocated to a duckling house and was happily packing them in fresh straw 😄

18/11/2023

Last night I swapped out Miss Marigolds unfertilised eggs for a dozen eggs due Monday, some had already externally pipped.
She was very determined not to leave her nest this morning (she has been a twice day bath and eat since going broody)
Can't wait to see how she does as a first time mumma, next step is moving her from her current abode to a duckling safe pen
Fortunately the weather has cooled down and rain predicted for her next couple of nest bound days

I'm really hoping she is a good mumma, as she has some visual impairment (likely secondary to recurrent conjunctivitis) so I won't breed with her or sell her, but having a purpose is always good!

17/11/2023

As my breeding season draws to a close, some of these lovely ladies are looking for some new accommodation
PM to discuss

17/11/2023

With around 65 ducklings on the ground (total), it's been a late but great Welsh harlequin breeding season here, and still a couple of hatches to go (oops!)
The Appleyards haven't fared so well, with only a handful of ducklings but hopefully a couple good enough to show.

12/11/2023

***no longer available***

Last shipping for the season
Welsh Harlequin eggs - APS2 quality correct colour
Eggs from two pens (including ch light drake from Golden West & WoS duck from Ipswich poultry club)
Eggspress cartons, express post

09/11/2023

Very excited and happy to hear the first egg shipments have 9/12 and 10/12 successfully started! Fingers crossed all goes well for the next few weeks and we have little fluffers taking over the west and far south 🤞

06/11/2023

Ducklings - always happy to see humans with food and water 😍

06/11/2023

Fertile Egg Policy:
1 - breeding pens are all fed a nutritious breeding diet (showbird breeder, duck mash & coarse layer mash)
2 - ducks have plentiful clean straw to lay (sometimes they even use it!)
3 - eggs will be no older than 4 days (Friday- Monday) when shipped
4 - shipped express post in eggspress packaging
5 - fertility and hatch tested regularly to ensure high rates for both
6 - all care is taken to ensure eggs arrive quickly and safely, no responsibility is taken once they have left.
7 - there is no guarantee of hatch rates on shipped eggs.

04/11/2023

Well, despite the tantrum while I cleaned the pen, where she stormed out, and stood at the gate yelling at me, I think miss marigold is sufficiently happy with the clean straw provisions

25/10/2023

Welsh Harlequin: APS2 Quality genetically correct colour

Good fertility and hatch rates, eggs from two pens

Shipped Monday, eggspress cartons express post

PM for details

(Pic is a mixed hatch, eggs are from dedicated WH pens)

25/10/2023

Miss Marigold is keeping some eggs company 😍

25/10/2023

First day fun, finally a good hatch!

30/09/2023

Breeding pens!

30/09/2023