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In This Issue...
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Gifts for Waterfowl Lovers |
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All About Welsh Harlequin Ducks |
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Recommended
Reading:
The Waterfowl Art of Maynard Reece |
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Reader Poll #24
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All About
Welsh Harlequin
Ducks
The Welsh Harlequin originated in 1949
from two mutant light colored ducklings hatched from
pure Khaki Campbells by Leslie Bonnet, a duck breeder
living near Criccieth Wales. In 1968, John Fugate
imported hatching Harlequin eggs to Tennessee, but by
1980, descendants of the original imports were confined
to two small flocks. To broaden the gene pool, breeders
imported additional Harlequins in 1982 and in 1984 they
began to offer birds for sale in the United States.
The Welsh Harlequin is a lightweight
breed at 5-6 pounds. Harlequins are streamlined, with
relatively long bodies, medium-width backs, rounded
chests, full abdomens, and wide-spaced legs. Their necks
are topped with trim, oval heads that sport medium-long,
slightly concave bills.
The color and patterning of the
Harlequin is complicated. The drake's head is greenish
black, shoulders reddish chestnut frosted with white,
and breast creamy with reddish-chestnut. The upper back
has a tortoise effect in cream, white, brown, and
chestnut while forewings are cream-white and reddish
brown, with a shiny green and bronze cross-band. The
tail is blackish/bronze edged in white, and the legs and
feet are orange. The
duck has a creamy white head with brown stippling. Often
there is a delicate light rust or burnt orange blush to
her head, neck, and breast. The crown of the head
typically has more brown stippling than the rest of the
head. Her body is creamy white with buff and brown-green
or bronze bands on her wings. Her tail is a mixture of
creamy white and brown. Her legs are orange when young,
and brown when older.
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Recommended
Reading*
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Ordering
information |
The Waterfowl Art of Maynard Reece
By Maynard Reece
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* |
For
our full recommended reading list, click
here. If you order from
Amazon.com by way of our web site, Majestic receives a
portion of the proceeds!
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Reader Poll
#24
Question: What do
you think about those resin/plastic geese you dress in
seasonal outfits and place on your porch or hearth? (Check
all that apply)
You can purchase plastic geese and a variety
of outfits online from
Goose Closet.
Results of Reader Poll #23 What is a
good gift to give a waterfowl lover?
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A Waterfowl
Book |
71% |
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A Waterfowl
Movie |
0% |
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Knick-Knack/Figurine |
29% |
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Jewelry
(charm, etc.) |
0% |
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Toy |
0% |
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Stuffed Animal |
0% |
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Something Else |
0% |
Contact Us
Majestic Waterfowl
Sanctuary
17 Barker Road
Lebanon, CT 06249
director@majesticwaterfowl.org
Our Newsletter
The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year. Back
issues can be obtained online from our
Newsletter Archives.
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Gifts for
Waterfowl Lovers
Vitamin Supplement
 For
those of you who have emailed and requested us to recommend a
vitamin supplement for your waterfowl, here is your answer: Vionate.
Vionate has been
the most popular
vitamin and mineral supplement among breeders of quail, pheasants,
partridges, grouse and other game birds and waterfowl for decades. Vionate contains 21 vitamins and minerals that are essential for
quail, pheasants, partridges and other game birds as well as ducks,
geese and swans. This supplement has been recommended in dozens of
published articles in a variety of publications by experts on game
bird and waterfowl management.
Vionate helps keep game birds in
peak condition and is especially effective at times of stress. It
has a flavor and consistency that birds love so it can help get
chicks eating and promotes livability. Many breeders have found that
it seems to prevent disease, crooked toes, leg problems, etc.,
particularly in growing birds. Because of this it is often referred
to as "The Miracle Supplement." It comes in powder form and mixes
easily in feed. Many breeders find mixing Vionate into the feed is
better than in the water because water soluble vitamins tend to sour
in just a few hours and has to be changed more often, otherwise
birds may refuse to drink the water.
Vionate is for baby, growing, and
adult birds of all kinds. Improve your game bird hatches by feeding
to breeding birds and livability and growth of chicks by adding this
to their diets.
Gamebird.com is the largest
Vionate distributor, so you never have to worry about the freshness
of their stock. It ships within 24 hours.
Nighttime Predator Protection
The Nite Guard, sold by
Oakwood
Game Farm, Inc., will help protect your waterfowl
from destructive nighttime predators.
The Nite Guard is a maintenance
free, flashing unit that receives its power from either direct sun
or any kind of daylight. It requires no batteries or electricity.
They flash nightly even if you have several weeks of continuous
cloudy weather. Once installed, you never have to touch them, unless
you want to reposition them. The units are completely sealed,
weatherproof, high & low temperature resistant and will last for two
years or more.
The red flashing light can deter
owls, raccoons, bobcats, opossums, coyotes, muskrats, bears,
cougars, wild boars, minks, weasels, fox and many more. To a
predator, a flashing light gives the impression of another eye
watching them. The predator feels threatened and simply leaves the
area. The color red also causes most night creatures to shrink away
because it reflects off of their own eyes.
Mounting for protection from
owls: The optimum situation is to mount 4 units on a single post
10 to 14 feet in the air. The post should be centered in your yard
area and each light should be facing a different direction (to cover
north, south, west and east). Owls can see the lights from as far as
a half mile away.
Mounting for protection from
ground predators: Mount the units about 10-20 inches off the
ground and anywhere from 30 to 50 to 100 feet apart. The lights
should be mounted so that they flash away from the area to be
protected.
Waterfowl Art
The
Maynard Reece Gallery is the premier source of
wildlife art by internationally known wildlife artist Maynard Reece.
The Maynard Reece Gallery is a family owned business, owned and
operated by the Reece family for 26 years. They specialize in
limited edition prints, custom framing, Duck Stamp prints and
conservation stamp prints. They have most of the older, hard to find
Maynard Reece prints, all of the new releases and special editions
available nowhere else.
Push Toy Duck
Runners
 Have
you ever been amused by watching a duck waddle or run? Here is a
hard-to-find classic push toy duck with a realistic waddle and a
unique walking-flapping sound that both fascinates and entertains!
Kids of all ages will love this toy!
This handcrafted wood duck toy is a
sure hit for any child. No batteries are required and it is easy on
the ears. Duck runners come in five color schemes, there is one to
delight every youngster. Available from
KidEnergy.com.
Life-Like Friends
If someone you know wants a goose of
their own, but just doesn’t have the space or the time, this
gorgeous plush goose could be the answer.
British company Life Like Friends sells
a number of life-like plush animals, including
swans, ducks, and geese. All of
their lifelike cuddly toys are made from beautiful plush fabrics and
the quality of detail and endearing faces make them an unusual
present at any time of year.
Majestic's Cafe
Press Gift Shop
Every purchase you make at our
Cafe Press Gift Shop helps
generate funds to assist in the care of the waterfowl here in our
sanctuary as well as those waiting to come into our shelter. Spoil
the waterfowl lover in your life with an original Majestic gift! |
