Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[TheYeldman]

Ok yeah they are pinioned though. I've moved one box by the smaller pond where they seem to be spending a lot of time at the moment. And raised the other one by another layer of bricks.

 

[chickenlisa]

My Mama Reg colored Mandarin is sitting on her eggs and on day 17.
I just found an egg on the pen floor by their pool and I suspect it is from my new White Mandarin...and even if there is a chance it is from one of the other regular females, I want to give it a chance...no one is using the other nestbox (except little wild birds and I keep taking their messy sticks out and even tossed a blue egg out today.) I can't make one of them be broody and I don't have a broody hen either. I put it in my already running incubator...which has chicken eggs in it on day 2. I run pretty much dry incubation with humidity hovering around 30% +/- a few points. Do I have a chance with it if I mist it and take it out to rest like I would with goose eggs?
If I see any eggs laid in that other nestbox, I will for sure put it back there for who ever laying them in hopes that they will set...

or is it better if I slip it in the already incubating nest and mark it so I can take it out later and finish it inside?

What is the best way to proceed so this egg has the best chance?

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I'd wait and see if you get more eggs laid this week...if nothing in a week, put it in the incubator. Have you seen your white hen mate? I'm hoping it's fertile for you

 

[chickenlisa]

I never see any of them mate, yet get a nice big hatch of 8-14 ducklings every year for the past ? years...sometimes I take them and hatch in my incubator at the end, last year I let her hatch them again (she got to years ago when we didn't have a baby proof pen; now we do tho)

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Here's the new nest box we made...3 eggs so far And I took a picture if them in their temporary pond....we're putting in a nicer one but it's slow work. The rain sure makes their feet muddy which makes the water so dirty right after I change it!

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Very nice! I hope those eggs are fertile! You should let her go broody and hatch them. My mandarin ducks and wood ducks are getting annoying. They have all started nest dumping into the nest where a hen is trying to go broody. The annual egg-breaking has begun... Is there any way I get the hens to use a different nest? They were using their own nests, but then the nest-dumping started. Probably nearing fifty eggs. I have so many wood duck and mandarin that I am letting teal lay wherever they want and hopefully go broody. I don't even collect those eggs.

 

[chickenlisa]

I found a broken egg in the pool when I just changed the water. It had a wee partially developed baby Mandarin in it.

What would cause this, and how would it get up and out of the nestbox (elevated wood duck style box with mama on it for 18 days now) and into their pool?
I am so sad!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Very nice!  I hope those eggs are fertile!  You should let her go broody and hatch them.  My mandarin ducks and wood ducks are getting annoying.  They have all started nest dumping into the nest where a hen is trying to go broody.  The annual egg-breaking has begun...  Is there any way I get the hens to use a different nest?  They were using their own nests, but then the nest-dumping started.  Probably nearing fifty eggs.  I have so many wood duck and mandarin that I am letting teal lay wherever they want and hopefully go broody.  I don't even collect those eggs.

Yep I'm going to let her do it And as much as they mate, they better be fertile !
Maybe I'm glad I only have one pair because I don't want your problems...I wonder why they nest dump? I heard they do it, but why don't they just keep their own nest? Weird....good luck!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I found a broken egg in the pool when I just changed the water. It had a wee partially developed baby Mandarin in it. What would cause this, and how would it get up and out of the nestbox (elevated wood duck style box with mama on it for 18 days now) and into their pool?
I am so sad!

Can other birds or animals get in there and try and steel an egg for their dinner? Very strange. So sorry

 

[chickenlisa]

only little songbirds. I have the whole thing baby proofed and covered with 1X1" netting... this almost looked like a hole the size of the Mandarin's bill, so maybe she knew something was wrong and took it out?