Mandarin Ducks??? - Page 2

PM'd ya and thanks!

I got some mandarin eggs last year..8 of them.  I've researched them quite a bit and know they're harder to hatch than most, but i have hatched runners, cuyoga, and buffs as well as pekin so I thought I'd give it a shot.  The eggs are much smaller than the other duck eggs.  I had great luck with my other breeds in my incubator.  I have a great incubator..it's digital and maintains the exact temperature.  I watched the humidity..i candled them and they were growing really well..and then..they just stopped for no reason so I know they're hard.  I'll try again next year.  I also know from research that they are hard to get to eat, but i talked to someone who raises them and she said she gets a pillow and drops the duckling about 6 inches onto the pillow and for some reason they start eating after that..it stimulates them for some reason. 

You never house domestics with ornamentals ever they have different needs.

incubating them is like lighting your money on fire. Better to just buy juveniles in fall as a pair.

better information on Mandarins can be found in the Ornamental area here onBYC

Welcome to BYC ducklover. Kevin and CelticOaks gave you excellant advice. I too love to try to always keep my birds in pairs. Im an old softy I guess. All you have to do is change your topic title and you wont get locked out by the moderators like you did on the ornamental section. Thats why I posted here for you. I reccomend letting the mom hatch and take care of the babies of all of your first time duck species. You can enjoy watching and learning more about them and some of their habits.THEN get into the incubating and more of the other advanced stuff. (everyone will help with that too) The dropping of the baby manderins is a myth. Plain and simple.It stimulates nothing. Sorry schicks. But welcome also!!! I will be brutally honest on here sometimes.But I will always try to help and never hinder if you look at any of my old posts. I dont post on here as much as I used to but I lurk here alot still LOL! There are lots of great people on here that are full of quality info. Manderins are beautiful ,fun and one of the simpler to keep of the so called wild and/or exotic species. And yes wild duck species are a little bit trickier to hatch. Most eggs have to set under mom for about 2 weeks before being put in a incubator for best hatch rates.

I think you need an aviary for those-- they fly really well but i love them too SOOO PRETTY!

Yep its best. I love all full-winged birds.

Mandarin ducks are at the top of the list for birds i really want!

lol..well good thing i didn't do it then i guess.  there are alot of places that say it works though.  course there is alot of bad information on the internet.  I'd love to have mandarins..but i like my ducks and swans to be able to free roam and I think since the mandarins are so small i'd have to put them in an aviary ..i think i've decided i don't want to do that.  I'll stick to my domestic breeds i think, they're hardy and can come and go..and if i got a mandarin i'd be scared because they're so small.  They really are beautiful birds though.

Would love to have Mandarin's for a Nursing Home Activity (hatching) also used as Pet Therapy program!

But now I read that hatching them is like lighting money on fire....so where can I get little ducklings?

please see for more details: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/647023/wind-river-healthcare-and-their-hatching-activity/50#post_9458337