Mandarin & Wood Duck Compatibility

[CTBirdGirl]

I have 4 pairs of Mandarins. 3 pairs are bonded although 1 seems uncertain if they’ll remain so this year as the hen is trying her hardest to pair with a young juvenile I bought this past summer rather than her mate from last year. I feel that’s important to note since I have at least 2 and possibly 4 unpaired individual mandarins (at this point in time).

My question is how likely/possible is it that a silver wood duck pair I just ordered will wind up splitting and actually pairing with a mandarin instead? I know their eggs would not be fertile but for those of you who keep both species together how common is it that a mandarin chooses a wood duck as their mate (or the other way around?). Do they ‘prefer’ their own species or truly appreciate no difference between themselves?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I bet if you posted here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mandarin-wood-duck-pen.1549809/page-2#post-26302460 you'd get answered.

 

[CTBirdGirl]

I bet if you posted here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mandarin-wood-duck-pen.1549809/page-2#post-26302460 you'd get answered.

Thank you - I just posted there

 

[Goosewhisper]

scientifically impossible for mandarin and wood duck to mate (and produce offspring)