Mandarins on mesh?

[Rooster2410]

Hey guys, I just got my first pair of Mandarin Ducks today and am planning on building a more suitable pen for them. I was always under the impression that birds shouldn't be on wire mesh because it can cause bumble foot, yet I have seen lots of pictures of Mandarins and Wood Ducks on wire mesh. Is this okay for these birds?

 

[OldGuy43]

New to ducks myself, we only have one at the moment. Seems like I read somewhere that a ducks leg is a lot more fragile than that of a chicken. Seems possible, ducks - water - support?

 

[Rooster2410]

Yeah, I've got 14 other ducks besides the mandies myself and as far as I know, they should not be on anything rough or wire because of bumble foot. I kept half of my pigeon cage on mesh, I guess they can get it too but perhaps not as likely.
I only wonder about the mandies, are they light enough to go on mesh, and does it have to be a certain kind of mesh?

 

[Lophura]

The mesh can cause problems with their feet, best to keep on ground. It can lead to damage to the webbing, bumblefoot, being a perching duck, they typically have long nails that could get caught.

Dan

 

[Rooster2410]

Thanks, what about putting a rubber horse stall mat on the ground. Can this cause any kind of issues with adult birds? Or do they need some kind of dirt or something? The rubber mats seem like they should have grip for the adults. It would make cleaning a lot easier.

 

[KansasKid]

If you have them in a proper size pen you shouldn't have to worry about "clean up"
except a few times a year when you clean out old bedding...


If your worried about them getting bumblefoot because of rocky ground i would see if you could find a place that has soft grass/soil and as a last resort put a rubber mat with bedding like straw down that you can cleanup easy.

 

[Rooster2410]

Yeah, its kind of a pain in the butt where I am located. The area of Western Washington I live at is known for breeding rocks. They are not sharp rocks, they are sort of large, rounded. I pick them out all the time but they always come back :-\. Do they over eat the grass? I'd like to find some clean, untreated sod to put in there with them but if they eat it down too fast it exposes the netting. :-(

 

[KansasKid]

I'm not sure about the sod....but if you give them enough space (100sqft per bird) you shouldn't have too much trouble on over grazing the enclosure and the more room the merrier.

 

[arherp]

Being light ducks, they should be fine. I keep and breed Call ducks (the same size as Mandarin), and myself aswell as numerous respected CD breeders house them in wire bottomed hutches. It doesn't harm the tiny ducks.

 

[Dr. Todd]

Avoid keeping Mandarins on wire or in small enclosures. They are wild species with sensitive feet and wire can do a lot of damage (dry cracks, bumblefoot, etc.) in addition to stress which can cause all sorts of illnesses. Domestic breeds like call ducks have been bred for confinement and can tolerate far more than a wild duck would. Mandarins are a perching duck and will be far happier in an aviary where they can perch high up on logs and branches.