Feeding Ducks

[cjexotic]

Now that is amazing! Do you ship all over the country? Or do you keep all those gorgeous ducklings?

I ship, but wait until late Sept or Oct when the weather breaks and can be for sure the sex. I usually keep my 5 pair of regular mandies, 3 to 4 pair of white mandies and my 4 pair of ring teals. The rest are forsale.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I bet they are popular with those that have a way to keep them safe and not fly off. They are just gorgeous birds.

 

[cjexotic]

I bet they are popular with those that have a way to keep them safe and not fly off. They are just gorgeous birds.

You are correct. I have lost a few over the years. After about a year, they will not be so flighty if you move slow and no sudden movements. They like to watch what you are doing in their pen. Like cleaning the pond or filling feeding and water stations. Actually the Ring Teals are more flighty (and I lost one that flew out of a hole in the netting that I did not know I had that was only 2.5" round. she was gone. The babies both mandarins and teals can get out of 1" netting or wire. I was amazed. Now the teal do not lose their color when they molt but the mandarins do. So all mine look alike right now. Won't get color until late Sept - Oct. I use to have domestic ducks but my neighbors did not appreciate them. These ducks do not quack and what they do do is not loud at all.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s interesting I’ll have to see if I can find what they sound like on line. I just assumed all ducks but Muscovy made some kind of quack. 1” netting goodness they are super tiny. We get get the occasional wood ducks in our mt river just passing through and it’s always such a treat to see them.

 

[cjexotic]

That’s interesting I’ll have to see if I can find what they sound like on line. I just assumed all ducks but Muscovy made some kind of quack. 1” netting goodness they are super tiny. We get get the occasional wood ducks in our mt river just passing through and it’s always such a treat to see them.

They climb like a squirrel which makes it even more challenging. the mandarins males sound like a zipper being zipped really fast. Female have a quack but nothing like the domestic. The teals have a Wooop sound. Now muscovies don't quack? I wanted a female to help hatch out my mandie and teal eggs if I was in a bind but no one answered my add so I figured it was an omen. lol the teals can fit in your hand and mandies are just a tad bigger. So was also afraid the Muscovy would run them over. But mandies and teals are perching ducks so they don't spend a lot of time on the ground.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Muscovy females make a thrilling sound not loud at all and they Perch too. My Scovys roost with my chickens. My big drake roosts too but on the lower roost. Aww they are tiny little ones. I found the teal sound but not the mandie. Thanks for all the interesting information. Sorry you lost some that had to of been heart breaking. Having them fly away.

 

[Fishkeeper]

They're so lovely!
Are they hard to care for, or are they more like regular ducks with a need for extra containment?