Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[cajunfowl0]

I know under normal circumstances it is not a good idea to keep mandarins and other non-duck species together, but I was wondering if it has worked for anyone? I have (had) a pair of mandarins and found my female dead from a broken neck last night. It appears to have been a freak accident. My male is now alone and obtaining a new adult female quickly is not feasible. I'm trying to find an available call duck, but even that is looking like a 250mile drive and will have to wait until I can squeeze it in with work. Is it better to leave him by himself for a minimum of 2-3wks or should I try putting him with the silkies? I know it isn't ideal and comes with risks, but I also worry about him being isolated for so long.

if you were to do this you would be exposing a lot of diseases to ur male I wouldn't do it...I would keep looking a for a female there's someone out there with one you just gotta find them

 

[FrostyPaws]

if you were to do this you would be exposing a lot of diseases to ur male I wouldn't do it...I would keep looking a for a female there's someone out there with one you just gotta find them

Sigh, I know. Just needed to hear it from someone else, I guess. It took me months to find someone to ship my pair here (Alaska) originally so I'm just grasping for a solution that won't involve me forking over a ridiculous sum of money to a commercial hatchery. I'll just have to keep looking and hopefully my male will cope okay until I find him a new mandarin friend.

 

[cajunfowl0]

Sigh, I know. Just needed to hear it from someone else, I guess. It took me months to find someone to ship my pair here (Alaska) originally so I'm just grasping for a solution that won't involve me forking over a ridiculous sum of money to a commercial hatchery. I'll just have to keep looking and hopefully my male will cope okay until I find him a new mandarin friend.

Wow it must be not a lot of birds can take y'all's weather...but Alaska is very pretty I've been twice! Just wondering what do you do for your birds in the winter?

 

[FrostyPaws]

Wow it must be not a lot of birds can take y'all's weather...but Alaska is very pretty I've been twice! Just wondering what do you do for your birds in the winter?

Most birds actually do really well in the cold months with just your typical winter care.. The ducks and geese are fine with just extra straw in the barn. I haul water for them twice a day because its less hassle then giving them a heated bucket to make a mess of. My chickens get a heat lamp and a heated waterer.

The mandarins are a bit spoiled (actually a lot spoiled) and they have an indoor 12'x10' pen in the garage. I could probably put them outside, but its a bit of pain in the winter with the heavy snow load. Our garage is oversized anyway and it makes it easier on me lol.

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I know under normal circumstances it is not a good idea to keep mandarins and other non-duck species together, but I was wondering if it has worked for anyone? I have (had) a pair of mandarins and found my female dead from a broken neck last night. It appears to have been a freak accident. My male is now alone and obtaining a new adult female quickly is not feasible. I'm trying to find an available call duck, but even that is looking like a 250mile drive and will have to wait until I can squeeze it in with work. Is it better to leave him by himself for a minimum of 2-3wks or should I try putting him with the silkies? I know it isn't ideal and comes with risks, but I also worry about him being isolated for so long.

I have my mandarins in with a pair of peafowl and a pair of call ducks. Breeding season they all get a bit sassy, but my pen is big enough they all do fine together.

 

[Crazy4Fowl]

Hey I recently just ordered a pair of Mandarin ducks. They should be arriving Thursday. We have a temporary house/coop to put them in, but they can't stay in it forever. What type of coop would be good for a pair of Mandarin ducks? Does the run need to be big and tall? They are going to be pinioned so they can't fly, so the coop doesn't need to be too tall. What type of food do they eat? I prefer organic food for my ducks and right now I'm feeding them this (click this). But I don't know if they need layer feed because they only lay 1 clutch of eggs a year, for breeding.
Do they need a pool in their cage/coop? If so I would probably use a kiddie pool. Also can they live with domestic ducks? (we have 2 Golden 300 females, 1 female we don't know breed, and 1 drake Golden 300)
Thanks, Crazy4Fowl

 

[cajunfowl0]

Hey I recently just ordered a pair of Mandarin ducks. They should be arriving Thursday. We have a temporary house/coop to put them in, but they can't stay in it forever. What type of coop would be good for a pair of Mandarin ducks? Does the run need to be big and tall? They are going to be pinioned so they can't fly, so the coop doesn't need to be too tall. What type of food do they eat? I prefer organic food for my ducks and right now I'm feeding them this (click this). But I don't know if they need layer feed because they only lay 1 clutch of eggs a year, for breeding.
Do they need a pool in their cage/coop? If so I would probably use a kiddie pool. Also can they live with domestic ducks? (we have 2 Golden 300 females, 1 female we don't know breed, and 1 drake Golden 300)
Thanks, Crazy4Fowl

a 12x12 pen that's 6 foot tall is a good size don't forget to plant some brush tho yes they need a pool that's a must!!!!! And they can lay more than one clutch a year. No do not put them with any domestics they will get raped and could get sick and bullied. For feed I know a lot of people who use pheasent food mixed with chicken seed

 

[cajunfowl0]

But the bigger the pen the better! I have one pair of widgeons in a 15x 20 pen. They eat the pheasant food and chicken seed I'll sometimes put rough rice too. All the easy exotics are the same when it comes to care. Ig only starts to get different when it comes to divers Pochards and sea ducks

 

[cajunfowl0]

Oh and about laying. When your female lays her first clutch you can tame the eggs and incubate them chances are she will lay another clutch I friend of mind raised almost 50 wood ducks off one pair

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Hey I recently just ordered a pair of Mandarin ducks. They should be arriving Thursday. We have a temporary house/coop to put them in, but they can't stay in it forever. What type of coop would be good for a pair of Mandarin ducks? Does the run need to be big and tall? They are going to be pinioned so they can't fly, so the coop doesn't need to be too tall. What type of food do they eat? I prefer organic food for my ducks and right now I'm feeding them this (click this). But I don't know if they need layer feed because they only lay 1 clutch of eggs a year, for breeding.
Do they need a pool in their cage/coop? If so I would probably use a kiddie pool. Also can they live with domestic ducks? (we have 2 Golden 300 females, 1 female we don't know breed, and 1 drake Golden 300)
Thanks, Crazy4Fowl

Hello and congrats on your new mandarins! They need a pen that's at least 10x10...but bigger is better. Mine is 16x30 and 8 ft tall. You don't need it that tall, but mine are penned with a pair of peafowl and a pair of call ducks, and they have several perches they can fly to for more space. Many people say not to pen with domestic ducks....my call ducks are small and don't have issues together, but I do watch for sicknesses they can pass.
They do need clean water for bathing...more so than other types of ducks. A kiddie pool would be great.
I feed mine Mazuri waterfowl feed before and during breeding, and flock raiser and scratch grains over the winter.