Mandarin or Wood Ducks

[1lpoock]

What are the pros and cons of each...i cna't decide between the two. Can the two breeds be housed together, or will they fight? How many can fit in an 8'by8' enclosure or even 12'x12. Also, why cant they free range...is it because they will fly away. If they are enclosed, how do you keep them from getting out of the cage when you open the door. Is one breed calmer than the other. One last question, With regular handling, will they calm down and be held or will they fly like crazy when you are around them....if you can answer just one question it would really help

 

[claud]

Quote:
I never had Mandarins but I had woodducks.
I believe they can be housed together but Mandarins are more aggressive and may bully your woodies.

You can't free-range woodies because they will fly away. They might come back if you have other woodies and hang around the enclosure. I was able to call an escaped woody back to my enclosure.

Mine never really were a problem when I opened the door - they were a bit flighty and stayed back. You have to have a top on the pen for woodies and no holes where they can squeeze out. They can fly straight up and climb like a monkey.

Mandarins are the calmer of the two. Woodducks are quite flighty - you can tame them somewhat with treats but they will never be like a domestic duck.

What may be an issue for you is that Woodies require a federal migratory bird permit and, in my case, a Pennsylvania Game comm permit. The permits were $25 each but a bit of a pain to get.
I don't think Mandarins require any permit because they are not native to the U.S.

 

[1lpoock]

Yeah I think I will get mandarins, I might get them from a guy who doesn't know the sex of them yet because they are only 3 weeks, but If I get maybe 6 I think I am bound to get at least one male.

 

[cawooduck]

Quote:
PS- You only need a federal permit if you have the wood ducks and intend to sell or giveaway the eggs or birds. But you more than likely will need a state permit to raise them. Check with your local fish and game agency to find out if you need a permit to raise mandarins, a couple states require it even for mandarins!

 

[1lpoock]

Can they be enclosed with chicken wire...or does it have to be hardware cloth?

 

[Wifezilla]

Racoons, stray dogs, etc... can tear through chicken wire in no time at all. Get the hardware cloth.

 

[cawooduck]

Quote:
You could do it with chicken wire. The one thing i would suggest is to put atleast a 2' sight barrier along the bottom portion of the pen, you can pick up OSB plywood for about $7 a sheet, cut it in half and you have two 2' x 8' sections. The amount of plywood you would need is dependant on how big your pen is. The plywood will also prohibit the raccoons from reaching through the wire and grabbing the ducks.

 

[1lpoock]

does the top have to be hardware cloth too or can it be welded wire?