Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[TheYeldman]

I've noticed something weird recently, the male has been swimming oddly. He almost shuffles across the water using his legs in a sort of up and down motion causing the water to make loads of noise. Otherwise he seems fine. Any idea why he's suddenly started doing this? Cheers

 

[Dr. Todd]

@yeldman,
Are his breast feathers plucked or in rough shape? The treading you mention is usually caused by poor feather condition on the breast. Could be caused by a variety of factors...
DT

 

[chickenlisa]

I just went out to clean up some of the muck after yesterday's short mini tornado or whatever they're calling it...dumped lots of rain/hail with high winds and power went out in about 20 minutes than all was fine again afterwards. anyways, I took a few pics up into the nestbox and saw this when I enlarged the pic...click on it and make it as big as you can. That's a pip and I saw the duckling bill too...Yay!!! On Mother's Day just as I was hoping!!!
Hope you all get pips and babies today too!!!

 

[tacklouis]

My first of 7 hooded merganser eggs piped to day so I am happy as well

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Yay for you guys!

 

[tacklouis]

Have you got any thing Yet ?

 

[chickenlisa]

LOOK what I saw when I just took a pic thru the nestbox hole!!! 2 babies hiding under her wings...no idea how many more are hatched or going to hatch! Awesome Mother's Day babies!!!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Happy Mother's Day! Congrats.

 

[momo18clara]

Aww! Congrats!

 

[momo18clara]

Any more babies chickenlisa? I decided to bring my 2 mandarin eggs in this morning. I`ve come to the conclusion that they must not have actually internally piped when I candled them the last time, because they would have hatched by now. They are definitely still alive tho and they have definitely internally piped now because one of them peeped when I picked it up! Hopefully they'll hatch ok in the incubator. The temperature and humidity's good, but I`m still worried. Any suggestions? I would have just left them under the female for awhile longer, but I think I`ve kinda freaked her out checking on her eggs because she was off the nest for quite a while this morning.