Mandarin info needed

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Sure, PM away!
As for breeders, I'll get my old book out and get you some names and stuff up. Ed Jordan was a great guy, (Maine) very nice birds, and very friendly.... He was an older man though, so, it's been about 10 years since I spoke with him...but I'll check. I know I can get you some close by.
Yes they will be for birds, yearlings to breeders. Eggs ship very poorly... dont waste your money there. As for incubation, I've done it with success both ways. I , as a rule , never let my ducks brood their own, just because they will continue to produce if you take the eggs away.
They can be tricky in incubators, not for beginers. I know the humidity police will jump all over this, but run that humidity way up there, 65% bare minimum. I liked it around 80% to be honest for all the wild ducks, wheather folks like it or not, it worked great from me.
To start , the duck or broody bantams will be your best bet at success with them, unless you are a seasoned incubator.

Hope all goes well, by the way, have you seen the white mandarin?

 

[cawooduck]

Hello Turtlefeathers!!

Mandarins are going to fight during breeding season, period!! They are territorial and sometimes you will even see mates fighting, a lovers quarell!!

As for first year breeders, it can happen, just place about 4 nest boxes in the greenhouse for the two pairs to choose from, you never know and it wont hurt to try!!

I feed my flock Purina Flock raiser and have not seen any difference in the conditioning of the feathers and health of the birds from when i fed them Mazuri feeds, the only difference i have seen is a heavier wallet!! Mazuri runs about $34 a bag compaired to the $13 a bag of flock raiser. To much protien on puddle ducks all year long is not good on their organs. As for housing them with chickens, i probably wouldnt just for the disease factor, not to mention the agressiveness the chickens may have towards the ducks.

As far as incubating eggs from the start, i would use a banty hen over an incubator anyday, then if you want move the eggs into an incubator the last three days before hatching. As for shipping, eggs can be a crap shoot, i sent 4 ring teal eggs up to Alaska from California last spring as an experiment, three of them hatched which was surprising and awesome at the same time!! She also used a hen chicken to start the incubation process.

As far as grains for them, they absolutely love whole wheat fron about July through January!! Then i would cut the grains out before breeding season. As for leafy greens, Romaine Lettuce. Meal worms and crickets are also a favorite treat and gives them added protien during breeding season!

Goodluck and take care!!................Jason

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Aubrey -

I would imagine birds probably ship poorly, too, don't they? I've heard that they don't show well because they get stressed out easily, so I would imagine shipping would probably kill them?

My incubator (Lyon) is pretty accurate and although I'm not as "seasoned" as some, I've had pretty darn good luck with it so far! I've heard tho, that you should let the duck sit her eggs for 2-3 weeks, THEN put them in the incubator - true? If so, will that cause her to keep producing eggs? Also, I've heard their eggs work best in a turner that keeps the eggs sitting on their SIDE as opposed to their end - also true? (my incubator is a "side turner" so if that IS true, I'm in luck!) Humidity shouldn't be an issue with my incubator, but I'm wondering, would misting help? Otherwise, I have a whole flock of little living incubators who I'm positive will be more than happy to sit on/hatch duck eggs if/when the time comes.

And yes, I've SEEN the white mandarin, but only in pictures... In fact, a friend has a white female and split male for sale as we speak, but its the wrong time of year for me to be spending money on ducks! Besides, I only really need a female at this point - another pair would crowd the greenhouse without solving my problem...

~~~~~~~~~~

Jason -

Thanks for your input!!!

In your experience, is the fighting serious tho? I mean, do they draw blood or even kill each other?

Four nest boxes for two pairs, huh? I only have two suitable boxes right now - thought I was all set in that department - guess I better get to building!!!

Yeah, I know Mazuri is expensive - I've used it for other species over the years (tortoise, chinchilla, omnivore, rabbit, and guinea pig diets) and in all cases, I've found other brands that were nutritionally just as good for about half the price. Just takes a bit of research to find out which brands.

I figured shipping eggs was a crapshoot - just like with chicken eggs. As for incubating, I know natural is always better, but do you agree with Aubrey's info on humidity in the incubator? Thats so cool that your eggs made it to Alaska - if you think about it, thats a 75% hatch rate!!! Pretty good for ducks traveling THAT far if you ask me!!!

I think I've got the diet down pat - even the crickets and mealworms! Of course, with turtles, it helps to keep a colony of mealworms going (which I've done for years), and the greenhouse is LOADED with crickets (and slugs, and spiders, and beetles, etc....) - I've never used any pesticides in there because of the turtles, so all the insects are safe. I just hope the turtles are sharing them with the ducks!!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

First off, I didnt mean to imply that you need to feed them super hi pro all the time, but more as a treat or supplement to their main diet. All the divers, yes you do though, just in case you get any of them.

As for adult shipping, they do just fine, never lost one shipping or receiving. Just use some good smarts and do it in good weather.
2-3 weeks or so under a hen is best, but you will have better chances of her continuing to lay if you take them from her daily and put under a brood as Jason mentioned, for the majority of the incubation period. Misting is a great plus on any waterfowl egg. I keep the spray bottle in the incubator too, that way the water is the same temp as the eggs. This way it doesn't affect their temp, and risk shocking them by spraying 50 degree water, on 99-100 degree egg.
Multiple nest boxes, per pair are great as well. Gives the hen a choice. And as I mention, yes the males will argue a bit, but never have had on do more than just run one a few feet. They mainly puff their chest up, and make a lot of noise, if that doesnt work, the will wrestle a bit (nothing serious, just dominance testing) And the loser will get run off. Never seen on draw blood or lose more that a feather..
Welp, I'm late for work, better run
Aubrey

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Another informative post Aubrey! BTW, I had a look at your website - beautiful birds you have...

I was out in the greenhouse this morning, and found all 5 of my mandarins hangin' out together, so I was happy about that

I always hate to see an odd man out, so I will continue to search for an additional female for whichever guy it is that doesn't have a mate. I've never shipped or received poultry before, so I'd really LIKE to find one local - but if I can't, hopefully one of your contacts will have an extra hen they'd like to sell me after the holidays.

I'm curious about this one female I have tho - she has a splash of white on her throat. Its the only identifying characteristic that any of my mandarins has, and it just so happens, she's the only one that's unrelated. While I was surfing around last night, I saw a pic of a "white throated" mandarin somewhere, but I can't find it now. It looked very similar to my girl. Do you know anything about this mutation? IS it actually a mutation?

 

[tonini3059]

Mallard lane farms has white throated Mandies. Sometimes they are on Eggbid also.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yep, it's just one of the never ending mutations people are coming up with now a days
I am going threw my list now and getting you some breeders info, will p.m. it to you in just a minute
Aubrey

 

[cawooduck]

Hey Turtle Feathers!!

As Aubrey mentioned the fighting i have seen my mandarins do is just a lot of "chest thumping" so to speak, its actually kinda fun to watch!! The only time i have EVER seen a bad mandarin fight was my old pen, i had one very full winged dominant drake and a very submisive pinioned drake. The old pen was only 12 x 24 and very little cover or obstacles in there and the dominant male just beat the heck out of the submissive male and wouldnt let him eat or near the pond. I removed the pinioned male and basically nursed him back to health but had to put him back into the pen so i could quarantine a pair of Pintails i got, and that was his dimise. He didnt last a week. That is another reason why i dont like pinioning birds, they cant fly to safer areas in the pen. When my drakes start huffin' and puffin' during mating season now, they have a 30 x 30 pen with logs, bushes and platforms to fly around and use as sight barriers from each other.

As far as nest boxes go, the rule is usually 2 boxes per pair, because there will always be that special box that all of them like and you will have nest dumping, egg breaking and fighting. The more choices, the more successful your breeding season may be!! As far as nest dumping goes, i have a wild wood duck nesting program on our ranch, and i have found up to 25 eggs in a nest box before!! Its a sight to see!! Eggs on top of eggs!! Not good for succesful hatching though!!

Take care and goodluck with everything!!............Jason