Breeding Mandarin Ducks

Hello,
I am new to BackYard Chickens so I hope I am posting this in the right place! About five months ago, after doing a ton of research, I purchased two mandarin ducks, I named them Lola and Lyle. They are a breeding pair and they live in a 12ftL/8ftH/8ftW aviary/duck pen, with a very nice indoor coop attached. In the pen there is a nice 2ft deep by 6ft long by 2ft wide galvanized water trough I use as a pond. Also in the pen is a couple of nice hand made nest boxes, a large stump, and some long branches stretching across the pen for them to sit on. It is a very nice set up in my eyes. So here's the issue, breeding season is approaching and I am hoping for my hen to have some ducklings, however I have been doing more research on breeding them and hatching the eggs and the more research I do the more I found out that it isn't as easy as it looks. I just thought that the mandarins would just nest and have ducklings like my mallards do, but now I am reading things saying that you have to feed them certain kinds of food, and place their nest boxes right next to water. So I guess what I am trying to get at is, does anybody have any advise for me such as food to feed during the breeding season and off season, where to place my nest boxes in the pen, or anything else that I should know? Any


advise would help!
Thanks a bunch!!

Hi and

I don't know much about ducks, but one day I'd like to keep Mandarins, so I'll learn with you.

I don't know how things are done where you are but galv is one of those things... Some people get away with using it, some people don't. I've seen animals cope with the leaching from their feed or water containers that were galvanized, and I've seen animals get terribly sick from it too. I would think it depends on what else they're consuming, and the quantities, for example the pectin in apples is a heavy-metal remover even when it's crossed the blood-brain barrier. It does seem some animals are more sensitive than others too. Waterfowl you'd think would have a high tolerance for heavy metals...

Anyway, best wishes.

Hello and welcome! I just got Mandys this year too I'm hoping for eggs....I put my nest box about 4-5 feet off the ground and about 12 feet away from the water ( it was just a better protected spot and under a tree ) I haven't read anything about putting it right next to the water though. I've also looked at other peoples setups and figured mine was good. I think your set up sounds great! Show us a picture
I'm hoping one of the more experienced breeders chime in and let us know what they think about the nest box placement....then I might have to move mine.
I do know you'll need to have your pen enclosed in something the ducklings can't get out of if you want the parents to raise them. They get out of tiny holes and climb! I plan to take the eggs before they hatch so I don't loose any ducklings. But even then it can be difficult to get them to eat I guess. It's going to be a year full of learning!

Hello
I have 3 pairs of mandarins. I have nesting boxes near my pond and allot in side or near plants and my Mandarins always pick the boxes between the plants.

who did you buy your Mandarins from? I've been looking every where but every one is sold out

Good questions in this thread that I want to know as well, so perhaps bumping it will cause someone experienced to see it.

On a related note, I have a regular male and white female. From the chart I saw can I assume I won't get any white offspring? The genetics chart someone posted on a different topic showed 50% split males and 50% regular females. I'm also wondering if perhaps my "female" is really a male since it has the red bill and not the gray one. This breeder sold me 2 female calls at the same time and now I see that one of the calls is actually male (curly tail feathers made me question it, and then I heard its raspy quack last night which confirmed it). I really wanted one of each so that worked out great, but it calls into question the breeder's ability to identify the sexes. Is the bill color pretty standard, or do the females regularly have a red bill?

The white females have a red bill. I also have a regular colored male and white female. Yours can have white offspring. If your male is NOT split white, you can still get white female offspring. If your male IS split white, you can get white males and females. I got 2 white drakes and 1 white hen from my pair this yr....so I must have a regular drake who is split white.

Quote:
According to this chart posted by KansasKid several years ago, all my babies will be normal colored. Oh wait, I don't know how to add a picture so instead I'll post the link to the post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561538/normal-mandarin-and-white-mandarin-boys-need-help Also I found the following on the Acorn Hollow Bantams Q&A: If Whites and normals cross, what will the offspring be like? The first generation should be 100% Normal in color. If the males are mated back to Whites, the next generation should contain ducklings of both colors.... So I think I'm out of luck the first year. The male babies should be split/white though so if I get a white female I'll be in the same boat as you and I should get an equal mix of split males, white males, normal females and split females from them (again, according to the KansasKid post). This is all very exciting and fun for me though. Now I just need to track down what to feed them in the spring and maybe I can answer the original poster's questions and mine at the same time.

khonderd said:

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Quote:
According to this chart posted by KansasKid several years ago, all my babies will be normal colored. Oh wait, I don't know how to add a picture so instead I'll post the link to the post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561538/normal-mandarin-and-white-mandarin-boys-need-help Also I found the following on the Acorn Hollow Bantams Q&A: If Whites and normals cross, what will the offspring be like? The first generation should be 100% Normal in color. If the males are mated back to Whites, the next generation should contain ducklings of both colors.... So I think I'm out of luck the first year. The male babies should be split/white though so if I get a white female I'll be in the same boat as you and I should get an equal mix of split males, white males, normal females and split females from them (again, according to the KansasKid post). This is all very exciting and fun for me though.

Good luck with them ! I love having them