Need advice from Mandarin duck owners

[LALADY1101]

Well, I got the call yesterday that the 10 Mandarin duck eggs are on their way. I have hatched silkies and rouen ducks and I have call ducks that are pipping right now. I realize that Mandarin eggs are harder to hatch. Hubby built a GREAT bator that holds temps and humidity fantastic. We will hand turn the eggs. I could use any other advice or suggestions that any of ya'll are willing to give. I'm not too sure as to what humidity should be. I was thinking of around 60-65%. Is that too high?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I hatch them just like I hatch my calls. Keep it around 40% the first 26 days. Then on day 26, lockdown begins. I keep it around 70% for the hatch. I also cool the eggs for 10-15 min per day from day 7 and up. I also mist them with water during that time. I hatch them out in cartons. And 3 days after I put the mandarins in, I put in some call ducks, so they hatch with the mandies and teach them how to eat and drink. They hatch at around 29 days.

 

[destiny_56085]

My brother has white mandies and I took a shot at hatching a few one year. Getting them to hatch is no harder than call ducks. Getting them to eat is the hard part. I tried fostering them with call babies too and some of my silkie chicks and they kept dropping dead on me. I was talking to one of the old timers in my poultry club that raises lots of them. He said that you have to simulate them falling out of the nest to trigger them to eat. Drop them off a table onto a pillow or something similar. I know it sounds nuts, but it works.

 

[LALADY1101]

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Thanks sundown

 

[LALADY1101]

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We had to do that with 2 rescued wood ducks last year. It does sound crazy though. Seems like you would hurt them. I was wondering if we had to do that with the Mandarin ducklings. Thanks so much!

 

[Scott]

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We had to do that with 2 rescued wood ducks last year. It does sound crazy though. Seems like you would hurt them. I was wondering if we had to do that with the Mandarin ducklings. Thanks so much!

Whites mandarin ducklings seem to have a more difficult time starting to eat. You should offer them meal worms to jump start their eating instinct. They can be ordered online. Also, if raised with call ducklings, the mandarins will learn to eat from the call ducklings.