Trout/Harlequin/Snowy Indian Runner Crosses (Breeding Comments Only!)

 

Recently I came across pictures on Facebook of some ducks that a friend of mine acquired for herd dog training. After contacting the friend and a friend of hers I finally ran across these pictures of the friends birds. (Not all pictures are ours, See bottom for proper credit.)

***For Blue Trout, Apricot Trout & Brown Trout see next post.***

FOR GENETIC REFERENCE!!!

 

 

A bunch of young birds showing typical trout or light phase markings with eye stripes. These look a lot like purebred Trout Indian Runners in that awkward teenager stage.

 

 

Two ducklings: these are trout marked ducklings.

 

 

A Momma-duck with her brood. (ducklings L-R: silver/splash, harlequin, trout, harlequin.)

 

A trio of breeder birds. They show a little of both breeds, they are more elongated than a typical Welsh Harlequin and their bills and heads show the Indian Runner influences. The females have very distinct eye stripes which is a fault in Harlequins but is common in Mallard-patterned genetics.

 



 

More birds for type perspective.

 

Ducklings again: Note how three of the ducklings appear to have the nice trout markings found in typical trout ducklings, two are harlequin/snowy because they are yellow with the tan blush over their heads and wings, and the third is probably either light blue snowy (Aleutian) or a splash/silver.

 

The Trout Indian Runners we bred for several years. (No longer breeding Trout) but you can see that the drake and drakes pictured above are very similar, The pictures above are all Welsh Harlequin x Indian Runner crosses, the birds below are pure Trout Indian Runners.

 

The Trout variety is a Light Phase Mallard, meaning the Light Phase is expressed over the top of a normal Gray (Wild Type).

 

Trout Genotype: M⁺M⁺ lili e⁺e⁺ bl⁺bl⁺ C⁺C⁺ B⁺B⁺ r⁺r⁺ D⁺D⁺ Bu⁺Bu⁺

 

Female Trout Genotype: M⁺M⁺ lili e⁺e⁺ bl⁺bl⁺ C⁺C⁺ B⁺B⁺ r⁺r⁺ D⁺- Bu⁺-

Male Welsh Harlequin Genotype: mdmd lihlih e+e+ bl+bl+ C+C+ B+B+ r+r+ D+D+ Bu+Bu+

Female Welsh Harlequin Genotype: m^dm^d li^hli^h e⁺e⁺ bl⁺bl⁺ C⁺C⁺ B⁺B⁺ r⁺r⁺ D⁺- Bu⁺-

 

**note: Gold Welsh Harlequins will both be homozygous for Brown Dilution, so  B⁺B⁺   

 

 

Typical Welsh Harlequins

 

 

 

Below are some of our 2012 Welsh Harlequin, Snowy Mallard and Trout Indian Runner ducklings. Note that the Runners already show the longer bill length and stance even a few days old. They show variation from duckling to duckling but each one has the same dark head "Mohawk" and then single brown eye stripes that run "through" the eye, and brown over the back. The Welsh Harlequins and Snowy Mallards have the light brown blush eye stripes and heads but are generally yellow with the color showing on the head.

 

(Welsh Harlequins & Snowy Mallards Left: Trout Indian Runner Ducklings are brown ones on Right.)

For More Information on Trout Indian Runners and Color Breeding please visit the links below, they are all very well put together websites, worth reading.

http://www.ashtonwaterfowl.net/indian_pics.htm

http://www.runnerduck.net/photo_gallery/default.html

http://www.steepleducks.co.uk/ducks.htm

 

 

Photos 1-6 photographed and owned by D. Williams

Photos 7-10 photographed and owned by K&S Waterfowl Farm