Advice urgently required please

[Wild1]

Hi Guys, I am recently retired and have built a large pond in my garden. I live high in the mountains of Malaysia at an altitude of 1300meters above sea level. In my pond I have a pair of call ducks that are currently nesting and she has 8 eggs. I also have 2 pair of mallards, 1 pair of mini Cayugas but thay are showing no sign breeding, 1 pair of Toulouse Geese but very young goslings. Now to the crux of the matter I also have 2 female mandarin ducks, and recently I bought another pair of mandarins both male and female that I was told had eggs last year. They are quite obviously a pair as they stick together like glue. When I bought them the male had a really nice crest of feathers at the back of his head and looked pretty good although had no white on his head at all. I have read that these ducks have eggs April to May but the previous owner tells me this pair had eggs last August. Is this normal? Then today I noticed the male has lost all of his feather crest at the back of his head and beginning to look similar colour to the female. Is he moulting? It appears he is, when he should technically be getting ready to breed. I am confused and worried at the same time as to what is happening. Last note is I bought these from the lowlands in Malaysia where is is particularly hot and now they are up in the highlands where the temp is at least 15 degrees cooler. Would this be an issue?
Sorry for the long explanation and I hope someone can shed some light on this.
All the birds are pinioned and free ranging.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Hi Guys, I am recently retired and have built a large pond in my garden. I live high in the mountains of Malaysia at an altitude of 1300meters above sea level. In my pond I have a pair of call ducks that are currently nesting and she has 8 eggs. I also have 2 pair of mallards, 1 pair of mini Cayugas but thay are showing no sign breeding, 1 pair of Toulouse Geese but very young goslings. Now to the crux of the matter I also have 2 female mandarin ducks, and recently I bought another pair of mandarins both male and female that I was told had eggs last year. They are quite obviously a pair as they stick together like glue. When I bought them the male had a really nice crest of feathers at the back of his head and looked pretty good although had no white on his head at all. I have read that these ducks have eggs April to May but the previous owner tells me this pair had eggs last August. Is this normal? Then today I noticed the male has lost all of his feather crest at the back of his head and beginning to look similar colour to the female. Is he moulting? It appears he is, when he should technically be getting ready to breed. I am confused and worried at the same time as to what is happening. Last note is I bought these from the lowlands in Malaysia where is is particularly hot and now they are up in the highlands where the temp is at least 15 degrees cooler. Would this be an issue?
Sorry for the long explanation and I hope someone can shed some light on this.
All the birds are pinioned and free ranging.

I don’t know about ducks, so sorry

 

[Ram13]

I dont know how it is there but mine lay in march-may.The male moults shortly after to looking like a female then colors back up in fall.

 

[Wild1]

Hi and many thanks, yes this is what I read too, but he is already changing to recluse plumage and not yet mated this year. The previous owner said they mated and had eggs last year August so I really don't understand what is happening here

 

[Ram13]

Yes that is strange.Maybe it was stress of changing his environment.Maybe the last person had them under lights and got them to lay early and they are done for the season.

 

[Wild1]

Yes that is strange.Maybe it was stress of changing his environment.Maybe the last person had them under lights and got them to lay early and they are done for the season.

Hiand thanks, yes I was wondering if because in the lowlands is always around 30-35 degrees C and here where I live is at 1300 meters above sea level we are a good 15 degrees cooler. Maybe it thinks it is winter I don't know but the females have not changed. I will post some pics later.

Also how to age a duck?

 

[Wild1]

Hi to anyone reading this, my male mandarin has lost head feathers but grown the two orange sail feathers on his wings that he didn't have when I bought him.
However no sign of mating but he is preening the female that came with him and she is preening him. On a other note my two single mandarin females are trying to mate with each other which is sort of bizarre I think. My mallards are mating with everything that moves to the point I am thinking of removing them completely from the collection. Has anyone else had such behavior?

 

[Wild1]

Hi to anyone reading this, my male mandarin has lost head feathers but grown the two orange sail feathers on his wings that he didn't have when I bought him.
However no sign of mating but he is preening the female that came with him and she is preening him. On a other note my two single mandarin females are trying to mate with each other which is sort of bizarre I think. My mallards are mating with everything that moves to the point I am thinking of removing them completely from the collection. Has anyone else had such behavior?

Hi everyone who has helped me on my mandarin male issues.
Well to update the situation is now as fast as he lost all of his colour and went as brown as the female he has suddenly started to grow back the colour. His face is getting the white back, the back of his neck is tufted again and the front of his head is turning green. Very strange but looks like he is back into gear and starting to look like he should be for this time of the year.
Super quick turn around, he and his female have started preening each other quite strongly so I think they will breed soon.
On another note my two single female mandarins have started trying to mate with each other. Rather bizarre to watch, on top of this they have started laying eggs in the nest box I made for the other pair. Of course infertile but strange happenings here. I don't know if any of you have had similar experience with mandarins ducks?