Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[chickenlisa]

Chewy is adorable! That's a Great photo!

 

[carmeninthecountry]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has any mandarins to sell or trade.

You can pm me!

Thanks

p.s awesome birds

 

[nattallieg]

Hi a wee ? For boggy (or the GURU as i like to call you) i am on day 7 of incubateing mandirin duck eggs 1st time with ducks. I can not see anything when candeling and getting mixed messages. Is 7 days too early to see anything happining???? Starting to worryy they are not fertilised. But i am used to chikens super fast formation please help!!!!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

I'm on day 21 of my mandarin eggs. By day 7 you should see something. These are my first duck eggs I've incubated, and they're very similar to chickens in what I've seen of development. I put 5 eggs under my broody hen and 3 in my brinsea mini...I have 4 that are developing under my hen and none did in the incubator. Everyone says mandy eggs do better under a hen and I agree! I'd still hold out until day 10, but if you know how veining in chicken eggs look like, you know what you're looking for..,I saw development at day 4 in mine. Sorry

 

[nattallieg]

:-( sadly thats what we thought but have been assured by seller it is far too early we are actually at 6 1/2 days incubation. I dont have any ducks to sit on them as these mandys were my 1st shot. But i paid VERY over the odds for the eggs and the guy does not replace unfertilised eggs :--( but claims 100% fertillaty. Think he may have saw me comeing!!! Very gutted was getting very excited at being a proud mummy duck...

 

[destinduck]

Its almost impossible to get any wild duck eggs from day one in just an incubator to hatch, I have done it but it basically involves twice the turning, cooling the eggs and misting. Ive been trying to perfect this for years and my hatch rate is still around just above 50%.Sorry but Im not sharing exactly how I am achieving this even because I want to put it in a book one day. But I have at least supplied you with the basics of the problem. Besides this knowledge you HAVE to start them at least 10 days under a live hen before putting them in any bator.There is no other way.

 

[happyhensny]

I left the Mandarin hen sit on them and would check daily once they were 26 days or so and pulled them once I saw a pip.

I felt guilty taking the eggs.

But, they ALL hatched!

 

[chickenlisa]

I left the Mandarin hen sit on them and would check daily once they were 26 days or so and pulled them once I saw a pip.

I felt guilty taking the eggs.

But, they ALL hatched!

I do pretty much the same thing and feel the same every time! Do you actually see pips on them and take them into an incubator? I candle until I see the air sac only and the rest all dark 3 weeks or so after mama duck starts setting...then take them into the incubator...Maybe I should do that this year...let her do all the work except the very end...
Lisa

 

[happyhensny]

I do pretty much the same thing and feel the same every time!  Do you actually see pips on them and take them into an incubator? I candle until I see the air sac only and the rest all dark 3 weeks or so after mama duck starts setting...then take them into the incubator...Maybe I should do that this year...let her do all the work except the very end...
Lisa

I wait until I actually see an external pop and then take the eggs to hatch in an incubator. The pen that the ducks are in is chain link fence, holes are too big and baby ducks will escape.

After I take the eggs I will give the hen scratch and treats to try to ease my guilt a little....

 

[chickenlisa]

My pen for my Mandarins is chicken wire on 2 sides (and shed walls for the other 2 sides and baby Mandarins have run right thru the chicken wire the 1 time I let the Mama hatch them. We lost 3 that time...Never again, even when watching them jump out of the nestbox is priceless! I'd have to reinforce my whole pen with 1/2" hardware cloth b4 I do that again!