Mandarin Duck thread ( for posting pictures and discussing)

[Buck Oakes]

Thanks for letting me know I wasn't sure if in the future I should get males or females to imprint on me.

My male ember, is a lot more friendly than my female, Sky, but I think that's because I kept my distance from Sky till she was about 3 or 4 months old.

I got sky first when she was about 3 weeks and prob a few days back in May . And kept my distance from her except food and water, she had a sibling but she/he died because of the temp and they were wet from playing in their water bowl. But luckily I still have my Sky

I got ember about a month later in June , when he was a month old or so, bc he was older I spent more time with him and he likes me more. He only slept in my lap once but it was a bonding moment, I was getting him ready for a bath and I was sitting down on the side of the tub and he just snuggled up in my lap it was so cute.

Is it normal for males to develop more slowly when not around females?? Ember only had a strip on him and when I introduced him to sky 3 or so weeks ago and after that first day he started developing quickly even though he was separated during the day ( they're inside right now and have separate rooms since sky loves the call ducks). They have a bath at night before I then put them up. In just 15 minutes with each other they were hooked, the first time.

Anyway back to the subject. Ember just started to really develop when he met sky, in these last three weeks he has most of his male plumage, and developed his male wing feathers in just under a week. So do males develop faster with females?

Sorry if this is confusing to read, I'm sick like I'm tired all the time and whenever I eat my stomach hurts, and it's just a struggle to do anything. The doctors have to check my blood again ( since yesterday, lucky my moms a nurse) they don't know if it's my glands or my hormones or even my blood, so yeah sorry if this is like hard to read

 

[Buck Oakes]

And sorry it was so long ..... Sorry

 

[Mandie Mama]

I'm brand new to mandarins so don't know much about them and I got my ducks when they were 6 months old. The breeder kept them in a 20x20 foot cage with about 10 other mandarins and they had the same size cages on each side of them with other types of ducks, so the only human contact they ever had was at feeding time. My male pretty much instantly bonded with me as soon as I brought him home and the girls are starting to follow his lead and don't act so scared when I go in their enclosure. My male pretty much had most of his colors when I brought him home. I do plan to get another male to even out the family so will let you know how it goes with the bonding with me and the 2 females

 

[Buck Oakes]

Cool, yeah after sky saw how ember acted around me in about a week she started warily sitting near me and everything and it's improved now, Sky still doesn't like my hands as much like petting her chest but she'll let me stroke her wing feathers now so much improvement

Keep us updated on your babies mandie mama

 

[Mandie Mama]

I will do that. I'm picking up another 6 month old male tomorrow or Thursday. I will be breeding my Mandies but won't sell them till they are at least 4 months old, and after LOTS of handling. They are too pretty to just sit in a cage. They should be enjoyed by being able to hold and pet them

 

[Buck Oakes]

Exactly!! Totes agree tell me when your ready to sell any, I would love a handled mandarin since u know ( still taming mine) and maybe if u could look in to getting some blonde mandarins I know they sell them at squaw creek

 

[chrissillmusic]

Hey does anybody have fertile mandarin duck eggs I could buy? I've been looking everywhere for some. Please let me know, thank you!

 

[RuzichFamily]

Wrong time of year. You're going to have to wait until spring. They are wild ducks and only lay at a specific time of the year.

 

[chrissillmusic]

Wrong time of year.  You're going to have to wait until spring.  They are wild ducks and only lay at a specific time of the year.

Okay, I wasn't sure about that or not, thank you. Is there any chance of someone selling a cheap pair of adults or am I not going to find any under $150-$200?

 

[RuzichFamily]

Okay, I wasn't sure about that or not, thank you. Is there any chance of someone selling a cheap pair of adults or am I not going to find any under $150-$200?

By now most people are probably sold out but I would try frankstrade.com or craigslist. I'll have more next fall but all mine are gone. I only sell what my couple pair produce to help offset my hobby's costs.