Female Chinese Mandarin Duck Question

[ravencreek]

I have a guy that wants to sell me a female chinese mandarin duck for $20. She is pure bred and laying. He said she has been exposed to the drake and will come with 4 "fertile" eggs. The drake was killed by a stray dog and he is worried she may endure the same fate. She is being kept in a rabbit cage in his garage. I don't have a pond but I could maybe buy her a large tub to swim in? Is $20 too much for this type of duck? Will she be ok with chickens until I can find another duck to go with her? I've owned ducks before but they were call ducks so I'm not sure if the basic care is the same. Thanks guys!

 

[poultrykeeper08]

Thats a great deal . But she isnt like a domestic duck they are more wild becasue wood ducks and mandarins are wild ducks . She would need to live in a covered pen with some bushes and such to hide in . As long as your cpen your going to keep her in is big and the chickens wont pick on her i gues she would be ok for the time being but i think she should have her own pen

 

[Wolf-Kim]

That actually sounds too low to me. A laying duck with four fertile eggs? If you watch ebay, Mandarin eggs sell for a pretty penny by themselves. Are Mandarins and "Chinese" Mandarins the same?

-Kim

 

[ravencreek]

I honestly don't know. I went to look at her and she looks just like the pics that come up when I google "Female Chinese Mandarin Duck". He showed me pics of the male and he looks like the ones that came up in the same search. Also he said the eggs were fertile but as with any eggs there is no way to REALLY tell. The eggs are 2 weeks old. Or they were laid 2 weeks ago at least. Also I do plan on building her a pen to herself that has the netting on it. If that will work. Or does it need to be some other material? What will she eat? Will I be required to do anything "special" to her diet?

 

[giffy]

Offer him $15.........the eggs are useless now. She will be so stressed that she will not make a nest and Mandarin eggs are quite difficult to successfully hatch in a bator.

You are going to want to get some type of pen up soon to get her out of the chicken cage. The pen doesn't have to be anything fancy but like noted above, Mandarins are a wild duck and will need a covered pen and protection from predators. A pan of water/small tote/masons tray is fine for swimming.

On food, there are specialty waterfowl feeds but ordinary 15% chicken layer pellets would be fine and are easy to locate near you. If you have access to whole wheat/oats that you can mix in, that would be a plus.

Clean water, food and protection from those who would like her from dinner is all you need and she will be good. They are hardy and will have no problem in the TN climate.

If you can get her in the new pen, put up one or two nest boxes and get a drake in the next few months, she may still take to a clutch of eggs for you. They are excellent mothers.

giffy
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GiffsFarm

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Could those eggs be put under another duck? Holderread says sometimes eggs will hatch that have been held for four weeks or longer.

 

[giffy]

Quote:
If you had another setting, it would be worth a try but I wouldn't pay extra for the duck based on that he has some eggs from her..........alot of factors come into play also, the way he stored them, temp, cleanliness...ect. I think most wild waterfowl breeders would say that artificially incubating wild waterfowl is difficult and if you are successful, you then have to get them to eat.

I have only raised Wood ducks, Mandarin and Green-winged Teal in the wild waterfowl breeds but each one has always shown to be excellent from beginning to end in raising their young. Mom leads them straight to the water and food within minutes of leaving the nest and keeps them safely warm huddled under her on even the coldest of nights.

giffy
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[ravencreek]

Thanks everyone. I have decided to pass on this one. I'm just not ready to take on a "wild" breed of duck. I will do more homework, and build a suitable pen before considering a duck that will require more than I am available to give them right now. I was going to buy this duck partially out of fear for her life.

 

[chickenlisa]

shoot, I wish Tn was closer to NJ, where I am! I've got 2 pairs of those adorable little Mandarins. I'd love to have more, not to mention giving her some company with others of her kind. Hope somebody picks her up- that's a good price!
Lisa