Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[3BirdGirlz]

Is that a formed chick in it? If so, I'm guessing something grabbed it out if the nest and dropped it.

 

[woodduck1]

what egg is it? is this egg from birds you raise in captivity?
it looks like it could be a wood duck or mandarin duck egg.
if you have a hen sitting on a clutch of eggs, I bet she is missing an egg if you count them. Several possible scenarios, the hen dragged an egg out when she left the nest box. A magpie or starling or some other bird went in the nest and stole an egg to eat it. the hen threw it out because she knew the embryo died.

Manny

 

[TheYeldman]

It's a mandarin duck egg. Only have the one pair and it's definitely hers. Don't know if she took it out or something else did, only other birds that can get in are sparrows. And I didn't look inside the eggs but there was definitely blood coming out and I think it had been in the water a while as it was cold. It was floating but I don't know if that means anything

 

[woodduck1]

okay that makes more sense.. if you don't have magpies or jays around, then it was probably your mandarin hen that dropped it out of the box. I have had it happen to me twice. Once I was standing there watching as she flew out her nest box with an egg in her beak (half broken) and she dropped it. so maybe yours you did the same thing. how many eggs does she have left?

Manny

 

[TheYeldman]

Thanks for getting back. She had 10 eggs and that's the only one I've seen out of the box so hopefully there are still 9. I checked on her to see if she was ok, and she hissed at me when I peaked in the box but I didn't want to disturb her too much. Will see if I can catch her off the nest tomorrow so I can have a proper look in there

 

[chickenlisa]

My 1st Mandarin who sat on eggs dropped one of hers in their pool, and there was a tiny undeveloped duckling inside it. So I didn't SEE HER do it, but I think she must have...she hardly ever left her nestbox so I doubt anyone else got in there and took that egg.

my 2nd Mandy mama is on eggs that are due this week....not sure how many she's on though.
Here she is earlier today when I stuck the camera in there to see what was what.

 

[woodduck1]

I took this picture yesterday of another one of my mandarin hens. it looks like they might be ready to jump out today.

Manny Antonacci

 

[destinduck]

Nice Photos everyone!

 

[TheYeldman]

I've been told that mandarins aren't very good mothers and don't show their chicks how to get out of the pond leading to them drowning. Is this true? as I can't sit around all day tomorrow babysitting as I have work. I feel they may leave the nest tomorrow and don't want to come home to a load of drowned babies!

 

[AliciaM]

I dont think that is true, but I have never had my mandarins hatch there own eggs yet.. But to be safe, make sure they have a way out of the pond..Like a couple bricks/rocks that form a type of ramp out of the water.. Something they can stand on out of the water even if they cant figure out how to get out completely of the pond....