Only because it's hard to find homes for them. I like our two, but I didn't want six
But I truly loved them - they're adorable, especially when they get to be like a foot and a half tall, they're so ridiculous and entertaining. Our male is trying to get a clutch to sit on but I just don't want to have scramble for homes. We got lucky when someone actually wanted all four of them at 5 months old. Maybe next year I'll relent though!
I can't believe more people don't have them. They're so beautiful. The teenager stage is so cute when they're still fuzzyOnly because it's hard to find homes for them. I like our two, but I didn't want six
Wow your ducks are gorgeous!! I love birdwatching so it was very fun to pick out all the species!! I don’t know a single breed of domestic duck but I love looking at wild ones. I go to our local pond often and right now we have some fun ducks (goldeneyes, mergansers, ruddys, wigeons, and shovelers were all there yesterday) I am especially envious of your mandarins, they are my favorite.Haha! Are those yours in the video? That's an awesome pen. We live right next to a cattle rancher, I wonder if he'd let me share his pasture
Too bad they probably couldn't live with little ducks, I have an aviary with a pond and everything but it already has 153 ducks in it and I've heard emus aren't real careful.View attachment 4043334View attachment 4043336View attachment 4043335
I do have tons of fencing stuff though so I'm sure I could make something nice temporarily.
Wow that's quite a few! That would be awesome, thanks so much. Fingers crossed, mine are good though. They take sooo long, I don't know how much more waiting I can endure
Thank you! Yes the wild ones are so much more fun I think. Not that domestics aren't still cute and everything, but I just love the way the wild birds act. They're all so different and unique. Almost all domestics are derived from mallards, but in the wild duck world mallards are just one small fragment of all of the ducks out there. I love the goldeneye, they're my absolute favorite. The drake is just the friendliest little thing. He comes up to me and begs all the time. I don't have any Ruddy ducks, they're so cute but a bit tricky in captivity. I ended up finding out the guy I got mine from had some related breeding pairs and that can really screw up the offspring. I've had two pairs and neither ones lived very long. I'm hoping to get some better ones this year. Also a goal is to get spectacled eiders this year. It's really interesting because in captivity they can't be sold since they're threatened or whatever in the wild. So they're essentially free, haha. They can only be gifted. If you haven't seen them though, look them up. They're crazy looking.Wow your ducks are gorgeous!! I love birdwatching so it was very fun to pick out all the species!! I don’t know a single breed of domestic duck but I love looking at wild ones. I go to our local pond often and right now we have some fun ducks (goldeneyes, mergansers, ruddys, wigeons, and shovelers were all there yesterday) I am especially envious of your mandarins, they are my favorite.
I have only seen mandarins once before, but they didn’t *count* on my Ebird lists because they were “captive”Thank you! Yes the wild ones are so much more fun I think. Not that domestics aren't still cute and everything, but I just love the way the wild birds act. They're all so different and unique. Almost all domestics are derived from mallards, but in the wild duck world mallards are just one small fragment of all of the ducks out there. I love the goldeneye, they're my absolute favorite. The drake is just the friendliest little thing. He comes up to me and begs all the time. I don't have any Ruddy ducks, they're so cute but a bit tricky in captivity. I ended up finding out the guy I got mine from had some related breeding pairs and that can really screw up the offspring. I've had two pairs and neither ones lived very long. I'm hoping to get some better ones this year. Also a goal is to get spectacled eiders this year. It's really interesting because in captivity they can't be sold since they're threatened or whatever in the wild. So they're essentially free, haha. They can only be gifted. If you haven't seen them though, look them up. They're crazy looking.
Yeah the mandarins are fun! Mine breed like rabbits. If you ever decide you want any, let me know, I can help you out
(though there was nothing holding them in, but I suppose they were in someone’s yard pond, lol!) They are just sooo cute though. Are the two white ducks in your picture Mandarins? Never heard of them being white but they look just like them. Goldeneyes are really cool, we saw a Barrows last year, which is rare for our area, but often we see commons in the winter months. Do you have a hooded merg male to go with the female in your pic? They are incredible. A year ago we lived in a house with a community pond in our backyard and saw almost every type of wild waterfowl there. You’re making me miss that so much. Just looking out the back window and watching all of the gorgeous wild ducks! 
I researched it last year but then kind of gave up on it. We will see though! Knowing now that you have a lot of breeding mandarins makes me want to re-open that dream. 
Also wondering if you have or have had buffleheads? I love them so much, they are so beautiful!
It's amazing how developed they are inside that egg - related, here is Fred hatching some of his babies. I had already collected the first chick. It's all so fascinating!
That is so precious. Animal instinct, dedication and care is so beautiful! I bet it was hard to take them from him to hand raise!
