Any advice for keeping mandarin ducks?

[talkhorsesducks]

Hi, as my title says I’m getting a mandarin pair soon. I have a fairly large 20ft by 20ft covered aviary, smaller insulated duck coop 4ft by 4ft and am experienced in clipping the wings. I have had and kept ducks for years, so I am prepared to care for a more advanced breed.

A few questions about them, I know they aren’t ideal pets, but has anyone had experience taming them as pets, ie holding them petting them, feeding treats, having them sit on your shoulder? If so how are there any tricks to help tame them? also any tips and/or advice about them?
Thank you!

 

[IvysAnimals]

Make sure your area and state allow for you to have them and have permits and regulations for keeping them. As far as taming them, don't expect them to be like a common domestic duck. They take LOTS of time to even have them get comfortable around you or even eat from your hand. Always make sure everything is secure, have everything planned out, and get more advice from multiple bigger breeders and caretakers that own them to give you extra personal advice. They normally hate being held, so never force hold them or they'll be absolutely afraid of you till they die, and that might even kill them. They're very easily scared and if in the wrong environment and stressed, that will most definitely shorten their lifespan. If you want them to be really comfortable around you, make sure your environment is suitable for them to survive and thrive. Don't scare them or make sudden/big movements, sit down with them ( they may cower in the corner ) Hold out your hand slowly and carefully with their feed for a couple of weeks it'll take them to get used to you and start eating from your hand. They most likely won't stay on your shoulder like a parrot, so don't try to force them to. They do good with others of their kind, so other Mandarins or their only relative, the Wood duck. ( or both ) They need a raised nesting box to sleep and lay eggs in, even if you're not planning to hatch and or sell eggs or juveniles. They can do better in winter, but still need side barriers to keep them from seeing outside and flying away ( clipped wings still allow them to fly, but not over the tree line for long periods of time unlike if they weren't clipped or pinioned) They need a netting on top so if they get scared and try to fly away, they bounce back and safely land down without hitting a hard surface and breaking or killing themselves. They can eat regular mazuri waterfowl duck feed and need lots of vegitation and extra bugs and worms to eat and snack on. Always keep them in pairs, if you want to breed them, never breed the sibings with each other. Keep them on the ground and not on a raised platfrom like a hutch. Theyneed clean and flowing water where they can swim in and clean themselves. River pebbles are the best to have since they need a clean area to live and trive in, so you can easily spray the pebbles and they'll be clean. There's still much more to learn, so always do extra research on multiple websites and ask more professionals about Mandarin ducks I had previously replied to another person asking about ringes teals, so I'll copy and paste my rely just to give you an idea on other things to think about......


"Look at your area and your state regulations on if you can own this breed of duck and if you have the space/time/money/permits and regulations. Look at where you want to purchase your birds. Mallard Lane Farms is personally my favorite and cheaper than most places besides personal/small ( or hobby ) breeders. Think about if you want their wings pinioned, clipped, or fully winged. pinioned is where they surgically remove the flight feathers to make them permanently flightless. ( P.S, they may still be able to flutter in the air for only a couple of feet. Exotic ducks are much different than Mallards, Calls, and other common and domestic ducks. ) Where would you want them to be? On open water or in an enclosed aviary? They can't really be on open water during the day and in an aviary at night. Do you want them as breeders/pets or just trying to populate your area with teals? If you want them on open water, the best is to get them pinioned. However, pinioned birds are usually stressed more when they feel like they can't fly away, and being pinioned isn't comfortable for them. If you want to keep them in an aviary, think about how many you want or may want. The best is to go bigger. 1 pair can survive in a 10x10 enclosure but always do best in bigger and thrive in bigger areas. Keep them on the ground, don't put them in hutches. This kind of bird needs lots of fresh, clean water, an extremely predator-proof enclosure, warm areas ( they're not good in colder areas ), and much more. Nesting boxes can be raised or on the ground, but for a better chance of them breeding and being happy, getting something more like a wood duck box will suit them better. They need a clean area so adding predator-proof items underneath and river pebbles on top can be easily sprayed down and cleaned. They need lots of vegetation to hide in and eat. For a top, the best is to have a cage like a dog pen and have netting under the dog pen top so if they get scared, they don't choke themselves or kill themselves by hitting a hard surface but a net that bounces them back. They can eat regular duck feed from mazuri fowl feed for ducks, but they need more like extra bugs and maybe veggies. They tend to like to stay with their own kind and not any other duck breed, especially domestic ones. They stay in pairs so make sure to keep them in pairs and not breed siblings with each other. There's much more to learn, so make sure to do more research on your area and the duck itself."

 

[talkhorsesducks]

Make sure your area and state allow for you to have them and have permits and regulations for keeping them. As far as taming them, don't expect them to be like a common domestic duck. They take LOTS of time to even have them get comfortable around you or even eat from your hand. Always make sure everything is secure, have everything planned out, and get more advice from multiple bigger breeders and caretakers that own them to give you extra personal advice. They normally hate being held, so never force hold them or they'll be absolutely afraid of you till they die, and that might even kill them. They're very easily scared and if in the wrong environment and stressed, that will most definitely shorten their lifespan. If you want them to be really comfortable around you, make sure your environment is suitable for them to survive and thrive. Don't scare them or make sudden/big movements, sit down with them ( they may cower in the corner ) Hold out your hand slowly and carefully with their feed for a couple of weeks it'll take them to get used to you and start eating from your hand. They most likely won't stay on your shoulder like a parrot, so don't try to force them to. They do good with others of their kind, so other Mandarins or their only relative, the Wood duck. ( or both ) They need a raised nesting box to sleep and lay eggs in, even if you're not planning to hatch and or sell eggs or juveniles. They can do better in winter, but still need side barriers to keep them from seeing outside and flying away ( clipped wings still allow them to fly, but not over the tree line for long periods of time unlike if they weren't clipped or pinioned) They need a netting on top so if they get scared and try to fly away, they bounce back and safely land down without hitting a hard surface and breaking or killing themselves. They can eat regular mazuri waterfowl duck feed and need lots of vegitation and extra bugs and worms to eat and snack on. Always keep them in pairs, if you want to breed them, never breed the sibings with each other. Keep them on the ground and not on a raised platfrom like a hutch. Theyneed clean and flowing water where they can swim in and clean themselves. River pebbles are the best to have since they need a clean area to live and trive in, so you can easily spray the pebbles and they'll be clean. There's still much more to learn, so always do extra research on multiple websites and ask more professionals about Mandarin ducks I had previously replied to another person asking about ringes teals, so I'll copy and paste my rely just to give you an idea on other things to think about......


"Look at your area and your state regulations on if you can own this breed of duck and if you have the space/time/money/permits and regulations. Look at where you want to purchase your birds. Mallard Lane Farms is personally my favorite and cheaper than most places besides personal/small ( or hobby ) breeders. Think about if you want their wings pinioned, clipped, or fully winged. pinioned is where they surgically remove the flight feathers to make them permanently flightless. ( P.S, they may still be able to flutter in the air for only a couple of feet. Exotic ducks are much different than Mallards, Calls, and other common and domestic ducks. ) Where would you want them to be? On open water or in an enclosed aviary? They can't really be on open water during the day and in an aviary at night. Do you want them as breeders/pets or just trying to populate your area with teals? If you want them on open water, the best is to get them pinioned. However, pinioned birds are usually stressed more when they feel like they can't fly away, and being pinioned isn't comfortable for them. If you want to keep them in an aviary, think about how many you want or may want. The best is to go bigger. 1 pair can survive in a 10x10 enclosure but always do best in bigger and thrive in bigger areas. Keep them on the ground, don't put them in hutches. This kind of bird needs lots of fresh, clean water, an extremely predator-proof enclosure, warm areas ( they're not good in colder areas ), and much more. Nesting boxes can be raised or on the ground, but for a better chance of them breeding and being happy, getting something more like a wood duck box will suit them better. They need a clean area so adding predator-proof items underneath and river pebbles on top can be easily sprayed down and cleaned. They need lots of vegetation to hide in and eat. For a top, the best is to have a cage like a dog pen and have netting under the dog pen top so if they get scared, they don't choke themselves or kill themselves by hitting a hard surface but a net that bounces them back. They can eat regular duck feed from mazuri fowl feed for ducks, but they need more like extra bugs and maybe veggies. They tend to like to stay with their own kind and not any other duck breed, especially domestic ones. They stay in pairs so make sure to keep them in pairs and not breed siblings with each other. There's much more to learn, so make sure to do more research on your area and the duck itself."

Thank you so much. I do have a separate spot for the appart from my domestic ducks, but they wouldn’t live with domestic ducks at all? They would pick on her? they won’t go in a coop at all? Even just at night? I live in an extremely predator dense area and my aviary is very enclosed and protected but somehow things still have been able to get on. I have two identical coops, one for when I get these guys and one for my domestic ducks. They’d only go in at night and be let out every morning. Do you have a link to what an ideal nesting box would look like?
Thank you so much.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Thank you so much. I do have a separate spot for the appart from my domestic ducks, but they wouldn’t live with domestic ducks at all? They would pick on her? they won’t go in a coop at all? Even just at night? I live in an extremely predator dense area and my aviary is very enclosed and protected but somehow things still have been able to get on. I have two identical coops, one for when I get these guys and one for my domestic ducks. They’d only go in at night and be let out every morning. Do you have a link to what an ideal nesting box would look like?
Thank you so much.

If more exotic ducks live with regular domestic ducks, they tend to get very scared (especially if they're not with their own quiet, shy breed. ) and domestic ducks usually bully and eat all of the exotic duck's feed. Exotic ducks get very scared and stressed quickly, so that would definitely not be good for them to be housed together. Trying to get exotic ducks out in the morning and out at night won't work and might even scare your exotic birds away from you. These kinds of birds require a very knowledgeable, experienced, and ready person to own them, they're definitely nothing like domestic ducks and can't be treated the same or an impulse buy. ( PS. Not saying you are, just need some experience with working with exotic ducks from a rehabilitation, personal experience, and maybe a nearby zoo. Those are really good opportunities to be able to learn more. ) I wish well
Here's a nesting box link - ( CLICK HERE )

 

[talkhorsesducks]

If more exotic ducks live with regular domestic ducks, they tend to get very scared (especially if they're not with their own quiet, shy breed. ) and domestic ducks usually bully and eat all of the exotic duck's feed. Exotic ducks get very scared and stressed quickly, so that would definitely not be good for them to be housed together. Trying to get exotic ducks out in the morning and out at night won't work and might even scare your exotic birds away from you. These kinds of birds require a very knowledgeable, experienced, and ready person to own them, they're definitely nothing like domestic ducks and can't be treated the same or an impulse buy. ( PS. Not saying you are, just need some experience with working with exotic ducks from a rehabilitation, personal experience, and maybe a nearby zoo. Those are really good opportunities to be able to learn more. ) I wish well
Here's a nesting box link - ( CLICK HERE )

Thank you. Yeah it’s no problem, I have separate pens so that’s good so far. I’ve been trying really hard to do all the research I can and to watch videos. Trust me when I tell you that I have tried everything to build an outside run that nothing can get into. I’ve even hired people to build it for me- nothing. It always ends up with the predators getting in. I completely understand what you’re saying with scaring them and being calm and gentle when handling. It honestly makes a lot of sense. I have a distant friend with mandarins and I’ve handled them once before. I have an understanding how how to handle very timid birds, as I’ve dealt with a few rescue ducks and tamed them.
my friends mandarins go inside a coop at night and she found they’ll go in on their own when it gets dark. I don’t know.
I’ll see what I can do for these guys. This is a bit frustrating. I don’t want to scare them away, but I also don’t want them to die. If they are left outside in my fairly secure aviary- for even just one night- they will be eaten. It’s that simple. Do you have any recommendations for this predicament? I’m honestly at a loss. Thank you so much for all of the advice I really appreciate it.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Thank you. Yeah it’s no problem, I have separate pens so that’s good so far. I’ve been trying really hard to do all the research I can and to watch videos. Trust me when I tell you that I have tried everything to build an outside run that nothing can get into. I’ve even hired people to build it for me- nothing. It always ends up with the predators getting in. I completely understand what you’re saying with scaring them and being calm and gentle when handling. It honestly makes a lot of sense. I have a distant friend with mandarins and I’ve handled them once before. I have an understanding how how to handle very timid birds, as I’ve dealt with a few rescue ducks and tamed them.
my friends mandarins go inside a coop at night and she found they’ll go in on their own when it gets dark. I don’t know.
I’ll see what I can do for these guys. This is a bit frustrating. I don’t want to scare them away, but I also don’t want them to die. If they are left outside in my fairly secure aviary- for even just one night- they will be eaten. It’s that simple. Do you have any recommendations for this predicament? I’m honestly at a loss. Thank you so much for all of the advice I really appreciate it.

I understand! When you try doing research on exotic animals, especially ducks, it's hard to get much information compared to domestic breeds. You might be able to put them in something more like a hutch, but that needs to be cleaned extra well. They like being on the ground more, though. The best thing to do is to make a very secure coop, and maybe put extra barriers on the outside or have them in your garage or something like that temporarily. You can go the route of having them fully open on water...? You'll need to clip their wings or get them pinioned so they don't fly far away and never come back. However, you risk also getting them caught by more predators. You can keep them in a secure aviary with barriers around it, with traps for the animals that want to come by. Depending on where you live, you should be able to legally shoot the animal inside your aviary and trap the animal if it's a threat. You can also go the very expensive but very promising way for them, you get concrete poured as a base on their aviary and a secure pen side of thick metal bars and a fully covered top with metal bars and netting underneath so they don't hurt themselves if they get scared and try to fly away. You can also purchase one of those thing metal cage bars from bigger distribution sites, very expensive though. I would recommend keeping them inside an aviary, especially when they first come, and securing them on the inside, outside, underneath, on top, and with multiple traps and barriers on the outside. Make sure the pen is around or more than 6ft high, so predators can jump on top as easily. You can put lots of hardware cloth underneath with barbed wire and stones surrounding the aviary. Metal barriers so they can look outside and predators can notice them as well or pull at them through the cage. You can also put pebbles on the ground to clean the aviary easier but be harder to dig through. A wood frame holding the top up for better security and structure. Also, double-wire the outside and inside and bottom. Hope these ideas help!

 

[talkhorsesducks]

I understand! When you try doing research on exotic animals, especially ducks, it's hard to get much information compared to domestic breeds. You might be able to put them in something more like a hutch, but that needs to be cleaned extra well. They like being on the ground more, though. The best thing to do is to make a very secure coop, and maybe put extra barriers on the outside or have them in your garage or something like that temporarily. You can go the route of having them fully open on water...? You'll need to clip their wings or get them pinioned so they don't fly far away and never come back. However, you risk also getting them caught by more predators. You can keep them in a secure aviary with barriers around it, with traps for the animals that want to come by. Depending on where you live, you should be able to legally shoot the animal inside your aviary and trap the animal if it's a threat. You can also go the very expensive but very promising way for them, you get concrete poured as a base on their aviary and a secure pen side of thick metal bars and a fully covered top with metal bars and netting underneath so they don't hurt themselves if they get scared and try to fly away. You can also purchase one of those thing metal cage bars from bigger distribution sites, very expensive though. I would recommend keeping them inside an aviary, especially when they first come, and securing them on the inside, outside, underneath, on top, and with multiple traps and barriers on the outside. Make sure the pen is around or more than 6ft high, so predators can jump on top as easily. You can put lots of hardware cloth underneath with barbed wire and stones surrounding the aviary. Metal barriers so they can look outside and predators can notice them as well or pull at them through the cage. You can also put pebbles on the ground to clean the aviary easier but be harder to dig through. A wood frame holding the top up for better security and structure. Also, double-wire the outside and inside and bottom. Hope these ideas help!

Ok, those are amazing ideas. Thank you so so much, honestly.
I’m not in the US, and I don’t have a gun license. But I see what you’re getting at. I really like the idea of having traps around my aviary- I can do that. I have a weasel/ skunk trap that I will definitely set up. and a weasel one too.

My insulated ‘coop’ is like a hutch. It’s about 4 feet by 4 feet and 1 foot off the ground. It’s an A frame hutch. The floor is a drawer for easy cleaning. I have two Identical ones. One is completely clean and unused for my mandarins, and the other is for my domestics. I clean it daily and bed it with fresh straw daily. They are both insulated because it can get chilly here. they also both are properly shingled and im in the process of creating a nesting box to go inside for the mandarins. I have a few old logs and stumps that I’m hoping to put in because I read that they will perch on logs. In terms of feeding the lady who is selling me some told me the food she feeds and
they have it at my local feed store as well.

I don’t have open water here unfortunately, I wish though. I have a 6 foot diameter pool and a few smaller tubs.

My aviary is decent It’s a soft metal mesh covered in plastic, with 1 inch holes, but I’m going to put a smaller mesh 1cm over top (a small hardware cloth) and hopefully that will help- like your a double wire idea. The main predators here are weasels, foxes, raccoons, skunks, wolves and coyotes. We don’t have any kind of snakes here.

Not sure if it might help, but I have a donkey in the pen right beside them.
yesterday I started digging my pen down into the ground. so it would sit lower. Just a few inches, then I’ll put hardware cloth underneath so nothing can dig down. I also love the idea of pebbles on the ground- that probably won’t happen until spring but I’ll look into it.
my aviary is just over 6 feet, I keep a large tarp over the roof at the moment- it can be removed. i do that because predators can’t grip on the tarp and fall of easily.

quick question, i was thinking of not clipping their wings because they’ll be in my aviary. I though that this might allow them to be happier and move around. What do you think? thank you so so much for all of these ideas I really appreciate your help. Honestly.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Ok, those are amazing ideas. Thank you so so much, honestly.
I’m not in the US, and I don’t have a gun license. But I see what you’re getting at. I really like the idea of having traps around my aviary- I can do that. I have a weasel/ skunk trap that I will definitely set up. and a weasel one too.

My insulated ‘coop’ is like a hutch. It’s about 4 feet by 4 feet and 1 foot off the ground. It’s an A frame hutch. The floor is a drawer for easy cleaning. I have two Identical ones. One is completely clean and unused for my mandarins, and the other is for my domestics. I clean it daily and bed it with fresh straw daily. They are both insulated because it can get chilly here. they also both are properly shingled and im in the process of creating a nesting box to go inside for the mandarins. I have a few old logs and stumps that I’m hoping to put in because I read that they will perch on logs. In terms of feeding the lady who is selling me some told me the food she feeds and
they have it at my local feed store as well.

I don’t have open water here unfortunately, I wish though. I have a 6 foot diameter pool and a few smaller tubs.

My aviary is decent It’s a soft metal mesh covered in plastic, with 1 inch holes, but I’m going to put a smaller mesh 1cm over top (a small hardware cloth) and hopefully that will help- like your a double wire idea. The main predators here are weasels, foxes, raccoons, skunks, wolves and coyotes. We don’t have any kind of snakes here.

Not sure if it might help, but I have a donkey in the pen right beside them.
yesterday I started digging my pen down into the ground. so it would sit lower. Just a few inches, then I’ll put hardware cloth underneath so nothing can dig down. I also love the idea of pebbles on the ground- that probably won’t happen until spring but I’ll look into it.
my aviary is just over 6 feet, I keep a large tarp over the roof at the moment- it can be removed. i do that because predators can’t grip on the tarp and fall of easily.

quick question, i was thinking of not clipping their wings because they’ll be in my aviary. I though that this might allow them to be happier and move around. What do you think? thank you so so much for all of these ideas I really appreciate your help. Honestly.

Allowing them to fly is good for them to stretch, try to run away if there are predators, and get into their nesting boxes easier.