Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[TherryChicken]

they will love rocks to perch on! other plants are advised too. sand is the betchoice its what i use for all my birds. I wouldnt think its ok to use ashes too might get thoe pretty birds sick ive never had mandarins but ive had wood ducks and i have a pair of widgeons and a lone shelduck now

Thanks . I think I figured out what I'm going to do

 

[chickenzzzz]

if i want my mandarin hen to lay 2 clutches, when should i remove the eggs from the first one?

 

[cajunfowl0]

I would do it the day she lays her last egg! That's what I do with my Muscovys

 

[khonderd]

Something ate the head off my female mandarin. My guess is a skunk. I've taken steps to further secure the pen, and am wondering if anyone in Michigan has a female they would be willing to sell.

Someone earlier asked about lining their pen with stones. My pen is lined with river rock and the advantage is you can wash the poop right down under the stones so it stays much cleaner. The disadvantage if you live in cold climates is the "tongue on a flagpole" effect that they have. They tend to stick to the duck's bodies. Fortunately the ducks learned quickly that getting into the pool causes them to fall off. Every week when I rinse out the pool I find several stones in the water, and the pool is raised a couple inches above the stones so they couldn't just fall in.

 

[TherryChicken]

Something ate the head off my female mandarin. My guess is a skunk. I've taken steps to further secure the pen, and am wondering if anyone in Michigan has a female they would be willing to sell.

Someone earlier asked about lining their pen with stones. My pen is lined with river rock and the advantage is you can wash the poop right down under the stones so it stays much cleaner. The disadvantage if you live in cold climates is the "tongue on a flagpole" effect that they have. They tend to stick to the duck's bodies. Fortunately the ducks learned quickly that getting into the pool causes them to fall off. Every week when I rinse out the pool I find several stones in the water, and the pool is raised a couple inches above the stones so they couldn't just fall in.

Oh no, that's so sad

 

[Buck Oakes]

Something ate the head off my female mandarin. My guess is a skunk. I've taken steps to further secure the pen, and am wondering if anyone in Michigan has a female they would be willing to sell.

Someone earlier asked about lining their pen with stones. My pen is lined with river rock and the advantage is you can wash the poop right down under the stones so it stays much cleaner. The disadvantage if you live in cold climates is the "tongue on a flagpole" effect that they have. They tend to stick to the duck's bodies.

Fortunately the ducks learned quickly that getting into the pool causes them to fall off. Every week when I rinse out the pool I find several stones in the water, and the pool is raised a couple inches above the stones so they couldn't just fall in.

sorry i don't have mandarin but i can help with this, skunks don't attack adult birds, they're very lazy and don't want to waste energy trying to take down a meal. The creature that probably did it was a raccoon and considering they took down any form of grown duck/bird, its a big one. You need to set traps immediately once raccoons find a food supply they don't leave. you need to take immediate action before the rest of your flock is taken from you to.

 

[khonderd]

Quote:
Whatever it was made it inside the pen, and I wouldn't think a large coon could get through the 2x4" welded wire fence. I can see blood on 2 of the fence wires where the predator squeezed through, which makes me think it must have been something smaller. I have also seen a skunk around on occasion (coons too, but they never manage to catch my free range ducks (on a pond) and I didn't think they could get through the 2x4 fence. Either way, I'm adding smaller fencing to the bottom along with an electric wire run in 2 places up the side of the fence. This "should" keep any predators out. On a positive note, I found someone on the other side of the state with a female for me. Quite expensive, and a 2 hour drive, but my only option.

 

[Mandarinki]

Something ate the head off my female mandarin. My guess is a skunk. I've taken steps to further secure the pen, and am wondering if anyone in Michigan has a female they would be willing to sell.

Someone earlier asked about lining their pen with stones. My pen is lined with river rock and the advantage is you can wash the poop right down under the stones so it stays much cleaner. The disadvantage if you live in cold climates is the "tongue on a flagpole" effect that they have. They tend to stick to the duck's bodies. Fortunately the ducks learned quickly that getting into the pool causes them to fall off. Every week when I rinse out the pool I find several stones in the water, and the pool is raised a couple inches above the stones so they couldn't just fall in.

So sorry to hear about your loss. I have to say that it had to be a coon or opossum and the fact that the mandarin was still there and had it's head bit off says that the predator was large and did not inter the pen but reached in and was only able to pull the bird to the netting and bite the head off before losing grip of it. If it had gotten in all you would find is a buch of feathers. I've had that happen to my red golden pheasant a few months ago when I found it without a head in the middle of the pen. I'd definitely set up a trap and catch whatever it is before it comes back for more.

 

[khonderd]

That makes sense. I put the trap out the next day but haven't had any luck. I saw what looked like cat tracks a couple days later, but nothing attacked the remaining ducks. After a few days I was able to get chicken wire over the bottom couple feet (in addition to the welded wire). Since then the only tracks I've seen are some rabbits.

 

[FrostyPaws]

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.