Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[copperduck]

I'm excited I just found a male for my female, it's her territory but he seems to keep scaring her away by pretending to bite her, but it is the first day hope they mate up, is it a for sure thing that they will ?

 

[Buck Oakes]

Not sure, but I'm glad you found a male mine still haven't mated and still have little skirmishes so it could be a while before they warm up to each other, or they could like each other sooner rather than later

 

[Emmet Mcknight]

Leave ducklings with mom when they hatch or take them away? I have 10 mandarins, 5 ducks and 5 drakes, 1 dominant drake has 3 ducks to himself and there are 2 other pairs, there's about 45 eggs between them at the minute in 5 different nest boxes, only one duck is sitting at the minute but I expect another to be sitting very soon as she has lined the nest box with her breast feathers. If and when ducklings hatch should I leave all alone? Been told the the drakes can be aggressive towards the young ducklings and I should remove them all to a brooder setup. They are all in an aviary about 25' x 11' with large pond 8' x 6' and this is my first breeding season.

 

[ShellyBear]

Some times the males can be aggressive but the mo usually takes care of them. Mandarin ducklings aren't as easy to take care of often but some have luck.

 

[cajunfowl0]

Leave ducklings with mom when they hatch or take them away? I have 10 mandarins, 5 ducks and 5 drakes, 1 dominant drake has 3 ducks to himself and there are 2 other pairs, there's about 45 eggs between them at the minute in 5 different nest boxes, only one duck is sitting at the minute but I expect another to be sitting very soon as she has lined the nest box with her breast feathers. If and when ducklings hatch should I leave all alone? Been told the the drakes can be aggressive towards the young ducklings and I should remove them all to a brooder setup. They are all in an aviary about 25' x 11' with large pond 8' x 6' and this is my first breeding season.

Take the ducklings away from the parents. Mandarin ducklings are one of the easiest to raise. Since this is your first time buy them meal worms give it to them for about a week or two. Mazuri is the best feed for them as well. Keep the brooder as clean as possible.put the food in the water and on the ducklings apart from an actual food bowl for them. A reason mazuri is a good choice is that it will float in the water and not dissolve away.

 

[ShellyBear]

Everything I have read say mandarin ducklings aren't easy but everyone is different.
I have a male and a femal, does that mean I have to take out the ducklings or can they stay in their cause I only have two mandarins?

 

[cajunfowl0]

Everything I have read say mandarin ducklings aren't easy but everyone is different.
I have a male and a femal, does that mean I have to take out the ducklings or can they stay in their cause I only have two mandarins?

Hm. Chances are that you read information from people who don't know what they are talking about. Mandarins and wood ducks and the two general starter birds because of how easy they are. Ergo how popular they are. I just sold a pair to a zoo in Utah. I would take the ducklings out. That's always better to do in my opinion.

 

[RuzichFamily]

I agree with Cajun. Mandies and woody ducklings are easy peasy. Incubating the eggs aren't the easiest that's why it's recommended to do it naturally but the ducklings themselves are simple. When mine start hatching I take all the eggs from the nest and place in incubator to hatch, then I move to my brooder after they dry. I feed mine Mazuri starter.

 

[ShellyBear]

That's good to know, I learned so thing new today

 

[Emmet Mcknight]

I don't keep the birds at home, they are on a small plot about 5 minutes drive. Do you let them hatch and remove them before they leave the nest after a day or 2? How long do you keep them under a heat source in the brooder and when do you introduce water? I'm in Ireland so its colder here than Louisiana I'd imagine. When do you introduce them back into the aviary or do they never go back?