...Mandarin ducks...?

[Ally Rose]

Hellooooo,

I searched on e-bay for mandarin hatching eggs because my mom said she thought they were beautiful ducks and i wanted to see if it was a possibility to hatch these. Are they good pets? Also, how big are they? And do you...*GULP*... need a ... PERMIT?
*Thunder and lightning* And are they good for first time duck owners? (grrrr i bet not!) I REALLY LOVE THEM! Thanks, pal.

-Ally Rose
(PS i really love them *EEK!*)

 

[Kevin565]

Hellooooo,

I searched on e-bay for mandarin hatching eggs because my mom said she thought they were beautiful ducks and i wanted to see if it was a possibility to hatch these. Are they good pets? Also, how big are they? And do you...*GULP*... need a ... PERMIT?
*Thunder and lightning* And are they good for first time duck owners? (grrrr i bet not!) I REALLY LOVE THEM! Thanks, pal.

-Ally Rose
(PS i really love them *EEK!*)

1. You will most likely not find quality Mandarin duck eggs. Save your money and just buy a pair. I've seen pairs for 100 and with shipping and taxes would end up around 175-200.

2. It's a wild species so no they do not make good "Pets".

3. They are a small species.

4. You will need to check your local laws. Many states require you to have a permit for them.

5. If it's your first duck I'd suggest a domestic duck first.

These can FLY. I don't mean like chicken fly I mean as in if they escape they will fly miles and miles away. Are you willing to invest in a Aviary? Proper Diet for a Wild Species? Adequate pond and Nesting boxes? If not I would stick with domestic breeds for now

 

[Ally Rose]

darn ok i wont get them

 

[Oregon Blues]

They are beautiful to look at, but they don't meet your other requirements.

It depends upon what you mean by "pet". If you want a pet to sit in your lap and be carried around and dressed in a Santa costume at Christmas, you might be disappointed in a duck.

They don't like to be picked up or carried. It frightens them.

But if you want a pet who will come to you and eat food that you throw on the ground and a pet that you can enjoy watching without touching, then ducks are great. They are very comical and entertaining.

For Mandarins, you need a flight cage. Those can be decorated to look like natural habitat and they are beautiful to have in your yard to admire. If you can afford to build a flight cage, your mother would enjoy looking at it. The ducks won't be pets, more like zoo specimens.

Normally, Mandarins are purchased as pairs, not as hatching eggs. Fall is the most likely time to find them for sale, so that gives you time to build a secure flight cage for them.

 

[Chett]

I'm also new to the game of owning ducks as pet/animal. I wanted to inquire why "as with the same question above" can I only find them as pairs. My first thought was that this is the natural way of the spices, where they form mated bonds as chicks and are ment to be that way for life. Rather than juveniles, which I have come across from time to time for sale. I wanted to get them as ducklings for the sake of making a bond even though they aren't domesticated. I've looked around but haven't really seen much sales in that department.

I'm looking for some input on this front.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

They are too tiny to ship as ducklings and would die in transit. They are sold in pairs because no one wants to be stuck with a ton of extra drakes throwing off their breeding numbers severely. They will become available for sale in fall when it is cool enough to safely ship them as juveniles. You would have to look locally only to try and get them as ducklings.

I would strongly urge you to avoid buying anything from efowl as they are not a breeder, and quality is not their focus.

 

[Chett]

Thanks for the tips. Efoul seemed a little shady when I looked over there website and further investigation only proved that. I currently live in Chicago if you knew any breeders that were located in Illinois.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Ask Kangababy, DestinDuck, boggy bottom bantams, and Kansas kid (all frequent the ornamental area here on BYC) for who to get Mandies from close to you. One of them is bound to know someone, or have them available this fall and be willing to ship to you.