Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[kristin07035]

I just descovered the Mandarin Duck & im loving them. My question is can I keep 1 or 2 in my covered chicken pen?
Will the co exist?

 

[AliciaM]

Im so excited.. One of my mandarin hens is sitting on 8 eggs.. At least that is what I saw when I peeked in... I sooo hope everything goes good.. I just need to baby proof the pen..

On that note.. Exactly how high should I put netting up the side of the cage?? I can go all the way up if need be.. but im curious as to how high they will climb..

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Their ducklings are tiny, and escape masters. The gaps in the fencing in our aviaries are 1"x2". We never intend to let hens raise ducklings. One time a hen did her ducklings on the pond. They were moved with the mom to a pen with standard poultry netting (with hexagonal gaps I believe) but that failed and the ducklings easily squeezed through. After taking a whole day waiting and trying to catch them I caught the last one. They were moved into a brooder. The brooder was not super tall but had wood around the inside perimeter to make it harder for ducklings to get out. One day a lady around half a mile away comes with a little white duckling. She said she found it in her pool. I did not think it was the white mandarin duckling what I moved in the brooder, but sure enough I put it back in and there were not any other white ones. They are escape masters. Another time I am walking and hear a duckling screaming. A regular mandarin climbed out but sticked around. I just wanted you to be aware that they can really climb and fit through small spaces. Good luck!

 

[AliciaM]

Thanks.. I will find a netting with realy tiny holes.. There is some deer netting with tiny holes.. less than 1 x 1 inch.. I will use that.. its not the easiest stuff to work with, but it will do in a pinch....
I thought about putting them in the incubator, but that also worries me... Now to determine which worries me the most..

 

[chickenlisa]

Im so excited.. One of my mandarin hens is sitting on 8 eggs.. At least that is what I saw when I peeked in... I sooo hope everything goes good.. I just need to baby proof the pen..

On that note.. Exactly how high should I put netting up the side of the cage?? I can go all the way up if need be.. but im curious as to how high they will climb..

I peeked in my Mandarin's nestbox too today- she was out briefly. There are at least 12 eggs in there...Babies can crawl all the way up if they have the wire or something to grab onto. They can also fit right thru (and I mean run thru it) chicken wire. Not sure what your pen is like- I had a chicken wire pen with 2X2" netting over the top...they ran right thru the sides and escaped into my chicken pen (they are adjoining pens luckily) so we got them back (this was years ago.) I covered the lowest 3' with 1/2" hardware cloth wire and then ran strips of wood along the top edges of those...and old window screens when I ran out of HW cloth...wood strips again along the tops of them. cover any gaps...even if they're only 1" wide. These babies can fit thru anything. Good Luck!

 

[AliciaM]

Thanks.. I willl make it fort knox if I have to...

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Oh wow! Me too....no eggs yet but she's sure checking out the nest boxes But I had bad luck hatching Mandy eggs last year, so I'm going to let my hen do it this year...and hope for no escaping babies!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

We hadn't named our mandarins, but my husband (who isn't really into fowl) started calling them Brad and Angelina one day and said how they hog the "hot tub" (pond) from the call ducks. It was pretty funny listening to him narrate as we watched from the window ...I think he really likes them...and so Brad and Angie they have been

 

[mikeybrownie]

night shot

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Do any of your male mandarins check out the nesting boxes before the female does? Mine is! He sits in the opening and hangs out before jumping down like he's telling his hen it looks good to him! Lol! They are so comical.