Mandarin Ducks???

[ducklover87]

Hi everyone, I've recently joined this fabulous site. However, when I first got my 6 Pekin ducks I ended up coming back to this site often. As I said I have Pekin ducks but recently I've been wondering about getting a new type of duck. Don't get me wrong I love my Pekin's but I'm trying to expand my breed of duck. I was looking through some pics on google and came across a picture of a beautiful, very colorful duck known as a mandarin. I instantly fell in love. I've done a little bit of research on them but I figured what better way to know how to raise them then to ask people who have them for some advice. The bad thing about this is I live in upper New York (basically Canada) and not to many people know about them or have them so i've come here to get some advice. So if I could get some that would be great!!!! I'm looking forward to hearing about these amazing ducks.

 

[Kevin565]

1. Your better off in the Ornamental Fowl section. Mandarins are ducks but they differ a lot from domestic breeds.

2. I know plenty of people who keep Mandarins in Northern states. They are fairly hardy and with proper living conditions will be winterize fine.

3. If you are looking for a pet, eggs, or meat then your wasting your time with this species. They are a ornamental species.

4. They have very different nesting needs from Mallard derived breeds. They require a nest box like Wood Ducks.

5. They are excellent fliers and will fly away if given the chance. They require a nice covered pen to be housed.

 

[ducklover87]

Thanks for the information

I could never use an animal for meat and i'd only want the eggs to hatch. I know that they only breed once in the spring, which is fine. I read about how strong of a flyer they are. Which I think would be rather neat because my Pekin's dont really fly. I know that to keep them they wouldn't be able to be free range like my Pekin's are. But I already have a nice covered pen with nesting boxes which my Pekins use at night. Would I be able to have my Pekins with Mandarins?

 

[Kevin565]

Are you planning on hatching out the eggs or letting her? I would not advise attempting to hatch them yourself unless you have lots of incubating experience. Even experienced hatchers have trouble hatching these guys. Also the ducklings are a bit more fragile and some have trouble getting them to eat. As for keeping them with Pekins I'm gonna have to vote no. Besides the disease factors the Pekin Drakes could easily drown the mandarin hen if he tried to mate her. Also if the drakes began to fight they could easily kill the Mandarin Drake.

 

[ducklover87]

Well they have one clutch a year so I assume that they are pretty good at hatchin their own. But I've also read that if you take the eggs away and incubate them that you can get a second clutch outta them?? I have no incubating experience so I most likely won't incubate the eggs. Wow, do you know why its harder to get them to eat? I would hate for that to happen especially with how expensive the mandarin's are. I guess it won't be too big of a deal because my Pekins love to free range. Thank you soo much for the great advice. I appreciate it a lot

 

[Kevin565]

Yes that's correct. I know of a few breeders on here that have done that time to time. They have a very strong desire to reproduce. If I'm not mistaken it can be harder to kick start their metabolism. Some people keep other species in the brooder to teach them to eat and drink. Oh it's no problem at all. I've actually been looking into keeping some mandarin pairs but haven't made up my mind yet. If you are really interested in getting into wild species I would talk to some of the experts like Destinduck, KansasKid, and BoogyBottomBantams. They have a lot of experience with wild species and can guide you in the right direction.

 

[ducklover87]

Really? What made you interested in the Mandarin's? Their fancy feathers caught my eye thats what got me. Ok thank you soo much for all the great information.

You've been a great help.

 

[Kevin565]

The colors are nice but the mating patterns is what drew me to them. I prefer species that pair up. I know you're not supposed to place human emotions are animals but it just seems much more romantic. Plus the fact you don't need permits for them like other species is a huge perk to me.

 

[furbabymum]

The colors are nice but the mating patterns is what drew me to them. I prefer species that pair up. I know you're not supposed to place human emotions are animals but it just seems much more romantic. Plus the fact you don't need permits for them like other species is a huge perk to me.

Kevin. This is OT but I didn't want to PM you all weirdly. You breed wolf dogs. I've been looking at the Native American Indian Dog and have questions if you're willing to answer. Mostly about temperament.

 

[Kevin565]

Kevin. This is OT but I didn't want to PM you all weirdly. You breed wolf dogs. I've been looking at the Native American Indian Dog and have questions if you're willing to answer. Mostly about temperament.

I'm more than willing to answer any questions I can. I've actually gotten quite a few PMs regarding dog information and don't mind them at all.