Raising Mandarin Ducklings?!

[Borncountry419]

I've never raised mandarin ducklings before, and am wondering if it's difficult in a brooder. Any special requirements? I've raised many other breeds of fowl, just wondering if this will be much different than say call ducklings?

Thanks!!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I just sold off my mandarins a week ago, too crazy for me to mess with anymore.

The ducklings are crazy, wild little things. I would set them then 3 days later would set some call eggs, that way they would hatch with the calls and the calls would teach them how to eat. I was told that you either should do that or get some live mealworms to toss in their food to teach them how to eat. Raising them with the calls worked well, they taught eachother how to eat and drink. I was also told not to mess with the mandie babies for at least a week after the hatch. But I would def. try to hatch some bantam domestic duckings to raise with them. They are small, so its best to have holes in the brooder, like the wire, 1/4" or less.

 

[Borncountry419]

I do have Call Ducks that I can hatch from. Now I'm all nervous about the 1 week wait thing. I'm buying them from a breeder (both the white and regular ducklings will be 10$ each, so it's too good of a deal to pass up. I'm getting 20) and idk if they'll be day olds or what. Grr.

 

[millebantam]

Found my first Mandarin egg of the season this morning! Yeehaw!

 

[Borncountry419]

Awesome! None of my birds are laying yet.

But yesterday I had a call drake mate with 2 hens a total of 3 or 4 times each within a matter of 10 minutes. So at least the boys know spring is here. Lol

 

[destinduck]

Ive raised them for years lots of different ways because I had ALOT of babies. Yes, the babys are hyper compared to domestics but as far as treating them different as ducklings..no. If I take them from the mom after they hatched alot moreso. But even then when I rounded them up and put them in a brooder with food and water they all knew what to do. Granted Ive had to work with woodducklings and other species and "teach " them but never a manderin. And the ones I incubate and never SEE their mom are a piece of cake. They will follow you and everything(if ya want em to) Not much difference IMO. I mess with em when they hatch dont know about no one week thing. One thing about your brooder though it better be sealed good because they can crawl five feet straight up a board and no Im not exaggerating neither and if there is a hole they will find it

good luck with them! You'll love em. Congrats on the egg mille Mine are cranking off this week as well. Spring is officially here for me as well.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I agree with Destin.
I also advise not putting calls or ANY domestic ducklings or chickens in with migratory waterfowl, if so, just do it for 1-2 day then pull them out. They are bullies, aggressive, and disease carriers. They only species of migratory waterfowl that usually require aid in learning to eat are the diet specific diver ducks that eat fish and animal proteins. Aside from them, they'll know what to do, in any case a few meal worms in the food dish will get any species to eat.
Main reason for not keeping calls and stuff in there is they are aggressive feeder, and grown 3 times as fast as migratorys, so they will bully they shyer mandarins away from the food.

Read over the first 4-5 pages of this thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=345303

it'll tell you a good bit about the care for all of them.

And yes also like Destin said, any type of cavity nesting waterfowl can climb like a squirrel when young, they have specially designed toe nails similar to fish hooks. They can and will climb straight up a slick cardboard box! To avoid all that, take a pair of nail clippers and snip off the tip of each nail, just the very tip, you'll see the hook part once you get them. That's their cliff hanging device, LOL It will keep them from doing it if you need to stop them

good luck, they arent bad at all, one of the easiest to raise actually. and $10 each is a great price, you are paying less than most pay for eggs (which is crazy to me in the first place, the egg price I mean)

 

[Borncountry419]

Thanks for the help guys! I know enough about the breed, but not ducklings. I should be able to manage I'm sure.

And yes, 10$ is an awesome price, especially since some of them will be whites.

Hopefully I'll be able to find unrelated mates for them this fall!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

if you're getting 20 you shouldnt have too find any, hope for extra hesn. they can handle 2 easily

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
My Male goose is handling 4 females...

So on the eggs... what is your view of putting the eggs under a domestic duck? Right now I have chickens brooding with duck and goose eggs. One chicken has 12 duck eggs, and one chicken has 5 goose eggs... All the eggs so far are fertile. SO lets keep our fingers crossed.

My 2 mandarin pairs have been exploring the nest box. the nest box is about 6 feet off the ground. NO eggs yet, but sometimes I see them coming out of the nest box. So mabye soon? Any have Mandarin duck eggs yet?