Mandarin ducklings dying at 3 weeks old

[Peafowlssssssss]

I really hope someone could help me with this, almost everyone who uses incubator to hatch mandarin eggs failed to raise the duckling older than 3 weeks old, the ducklings will be just fine and usually at the third week they will die without any obvious reason, the chick will be fine and two minutes later he will be dead. Someone told me they might need some kind of vaccine, but asked few breeders in the US and they said they don't use any. So why are they dying? This year i got my first ever mandarin egg, and i don't want the ducklings to die too, so any suggestions? I will let the hen hatch them.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

@RavynFallen

 

[I Love Layers]

My best guess is that they need something from the mother that they are not getting from an incubator and being raised by people.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

Sorry i wrote the title wrong, they are dying at 3 weeks old not three months, i know some birds need to be raised under the hen to eat some of her poo, don't know if its the case here.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I am not familiar with raising Mandarins, but I do know 2 people who have... I'll tag them and a few others who might know...

@minihorse927
@clousert

@attimus
@Amiga
@Miss Lydia
@needlessjunk

Anyone know about Mandarin specific issues in ducklings?

 

[minihorse927]

I can't say that I am much help here. I have always had a hen raise them. Someone tag @boggybottombantams it won't let me

 

[minihorse927]

@Boggy Bottom Bantams

 

[Ravynscroft]

Oh, just had a thought... I think they might be the ones you have to drop from a couple or few feet (like onto a bed) to get them to jump start to eat, maybe???

***I think*** Please someone correct that if it's wrong, but I think that was the reason why I decided to not try raising those, lol...

Yep... I just googled Mandarins and found this...



After the ducklings hatch, they have only a short time in the nest before the female calls to them from the ground. The ducklings have sharp claws to help them climb out of the nest cavity, which can be anywhere from 2-6 feet deep.  After reaching the opening of the cavity, the ducklings will jump, sometimes as much as 30 feet, to the ground to join the female. The male remains with the female and his offspring for the first week or two after the ducklings hatch.

 

[clousert]

Last year was the only year that I raised mandies and I let the hen do it. I was told that if I hatched them that the babies would have to be dropped approx 6 ft from the air to replicate nature as they are tree ducks. This is supposedly the only way to get them to start eating and their digestive systems working properly. Don't know how true this is but that's what the breeder that I got my pair from told me

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you minihorse and clousert!