I have some questoins . I posted detailed pictures with questions and pictures. any one out there th

[Koipondduck]

In the previous thread I could not put pictures. Let me put this time pictures first and then my questoins

Hi, this is my aviary where I have 10 ornamental water fowl. Inside the aviary is equipped with shelving and mechanize plumbing where I can do water change 3 times a week. I have used bulk head fitting that I found in HomeDepot and installed it in the walls for hoses to come our of the wall. Inside the pond there is a sump pump already sitting and all I have to really do is to plug in the switch for it to start emptying the water out of the pond to water my lawn and then I just reverse the hose to fill the pond back in. There are also live bamboos and water plants like arrow head since their barriers are favorite food for wood ducks. In the back of the coop, I created a corner piece water garden, where I am keeping some of water plants. They have n’t done much damage to it. However, if these plants were inside the pond, they will do severe damage. The coop size is 12 X 10 X 12 f tall. Coopy part is 12 foot and the other part is lower as you can see form the picture. Yes it has hard ware cloth all around.












H
Look at the mandarine tales and yes I realize that one tail is growing back ward....someone told me it is not the sign of lice but they are picking on each other. This one shows the corner water garden.





Here are some of questions.
It seems to me I want to load up that pond with plants but they chew everything down and make the water muddy.
Questions # 1) Can I just put loads of plant in it but wrap the pot with a plastic bag so they can’t dig it out. I have tall cat tails, winter green and very tall arrow head as well.
This coop is one month old and I have 10 birds. I wanted to have 8 birds ( a pair of pin tales, wood duck and two pair of mandarins, a white pair and a regular pair) but a gentleman I bought the wood ducks from keep giving me a mandarins hen for wood duck and one time a male. As we all know it is very hard to distinguish between male and a female wood duck and mandarins. Yes, I have applied for a license fo them
Questions 2
After I got a female wood duck, I began seeing that its tales are pulled off and all birds are constantly preening. Is this the sign of lice? A local friend that is very successful in keeping mandarin says that “ no, they are just getting used to each other”. I want to be assured.





Showing

Wood duck tail








Out side mallards pond I just put in to keep my Koi pond and a pond by the family room clean and mallards are not coming to my family room pond area since it is about 90 foot from their new pond.


Question # 4 I have mallards outside and I dug them their own pond to keep away from my family room area pond that I enjoy my breakfast tea. They were making a shell gas station shape pond that I keep water plants dirty. Notice these mallards pond is outside the aviary and they have their own house to spend the night. First after I moved their location, they were going in but the last tow days due to rain it won’t go in and I gave up. They are safe and not hurt by predators, thank god. As I try to hard them to their house, they constantly look at the aviary as these mallards want to go in there but I won’t them in with my ornamental water fowl since I saw one time one mallards was really picking on the female wood duck terribly while I carried them from Mt. Hope . Many professional said the house size is perfect for two mallards to spend the night only. I wanted something very nice looking.
Question 4: Why did they go in their outdoor house after I moved it from the old to a new location where this pond is dug and now in the rainful night , they sat by the pond and won’t


question # 3

Question #3
I spent $110 alone buying proper dishes, water bucket et from tractor supply. However, not matter what I see food is wet . I keep the water bucket right by the food since we all know how ducks eat with water. . I am feeling them Mazuri expensive game bird food missed with some poultry layer for calcium and some regular game birds food mixed with meal worms. How do I keep this food totally try so I am cutting waste

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You have too many birds in your aviary. They don't have enough space to spread out and are picking at each other. You can correct this by making a larger aviary, or getting rid of some of the birds.

If you put plants in, they will eat them. The only way to keep a plant going is by getting the plants established first before adding the ducks. Even then some of the plants will be eaten to nothing.

Ducks need deep water to dip their entire face/bill into. The 1 gallon waterer in your picture does not allow that. Don't leave feed in the open, don't use large auto feeders and don't set the feed right next to the water. Feed enough fresh feed daily for that day to avoid soggy water logged feed.

 

[Koipondduck]

Thanks but I have seen most duck owners have these I gallon and the one you are refering to is for outside mallards which I plan to get rid of as soon as possible.
I can't get them in to the pen at night and they want to go into the aviary.

Also, aviary is 12 foot X 10 foot and 12 foot tall with perches and a pond. The pond alone is 200 gallon with a bio filter and a UV, is that still small for 10 birds?

No more picking is going on and they are living in harmony and they are gaining weight since I am feeding Mazuri food mixed with game bird food and polutery mixe with meal works.
Unlke mallards that eat water mellon, fried eggs, bok choy, cherry tomato sald every day here, inside the aviary birds like wood duck, mandarnies are nto eating any thihg fresh but seeds that I mentioned.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

yes its still too small for that many birds.

you shouldnt be mixing any other form of commercial feed with the Mazuri, ornamental birds shouldnt be heavy (fat) and the Mazuri is complete for them. Gamebird is use for ducklings, turkeys ect, not adult birds when you already feed mazuri.

 

[Koipondduck]

Oh great. then I won't. I just like feeding any thing fresh stuff and as mentioned that mallards will eat water mellons, fresh salad mixed with cherry tomatoes, meal worms and other goodies.

Mt. Hope auction for exotic is on Sept 13th, I will sell a pair of my mandarine there. that will leave me with 8 birds.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

personally I would get rid of two pairs only keeping 6 birds total ever for that enclosure.

 

[Koipondduck]

However, only think they tend to love on water ( wood ducks, mandarines and pin tales) are these meal worms. Water is crystal clean from having UV light in it.

 

[Koipondduck]

Thy won't eat ( they refers to wood duck, mandarinees and pin tales ) frozen peas, or any salads I make for them. From eating this fresh salads, they gained so much weight ( mallards) that their wing span is huge.
As I mentioned, I will let them ( mallards) fly asway as soon as possible. I hope they do not return.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Can you reword your post please? Having a hard time following what you are saying or asking.

 

[Koipondduck]

I have not asked anything but stated some facts..... I am also having hard time following some members since some lack in effective communication methods. Some tend to preach rather
than givng educated information. Some are just pain and simply rude and make comments without knowing details.

I was stating that unlike mallards that like to be hand fed fresh food, wood ducks, mandarines and pin tales do not like any of it. They are happy with Mazuri.