Raising Mandarin Ducklings?!

[KansasKid]

eggs, heck i'm expecting ducklings this weekend....hopefully

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

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?

well first geese yes, they handel every thing in the barnyard, mandarins and other species are far different though and form bonded pairs, some will only breed 1 hen, some kinds you can trio or quad up.

yes broodies are an excellent way to incubate them but for God's sake, keep your dates right, you in no way want to try to chase them down after they hatch, been there done that, you'll be hard pressed to catch them, they's quick.
Finish them off the lat 3 days in an incubator and you'll have no problems. Hens work well, but a call or something small like that in the duck family will be your best broody as they incubate like a duck, well they are one...

 

[destinduck]

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?

well first geese yes, they handel every thing in the barnyard, mandarins and other species are far different though and form bonded pairs, some will only breed 1 hen, some kinds you can trio or quad up.

yes broodies are an excellent way to incubate them but for God's sake, keep your dates right, you in no way want to try to chase them down after they hatch, been there done that, you'll be hard pressed to catch them, they's quick.
Finish them off the lat 3 days in an incubator and you'll have no problems. Hens work well, but a call or something small like that in the duck family will be your best broody as they incubate like a duck, well they are one...

Thats why theres a wild flock of manderins here.

boy they hit the ground running.then when you chase them they go every which away. It happened last year but with 5 people ther were no escapees.1 inch chicken wire don't even slow them down.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

haha, nope they fire out threw 1 inch wire like a rocket wont they!
And yes I think they are pre programmed to scatter like quail if you chase them too. I've looked like an idiot out there chasing broody babies of the years many times.
That's also why I started clipping the tips of those fish hook toenails too, the buggers are like mini Houdini's

 

[millebantam]

Oh boy. My mandarin hen has 7 eggs in the nestbox but she's not setting yet. It's supposed to get down to the low 20's in the next couple of nights. Should I take the eggs and incubate, or roll the dice and hope they don't freeze?

 

[Borncountry419]

I'd say if your bantam chickens are laying eggs, replace the mandarin eggs with those until she starts to set. That way the hen won't see her eggs gone and flip out. But then if the chicken eggs freeze, bit whoop (unless they're sq birds).

 

[millebantam]

Quote:
Problem solved! Tonight it's supposed to drop down to about 21 degrees. BUT....................my hen has been setting on the nest since yesterday afternoon. Looks like the freezing problem has been averted because she has decided that it's time to hatch them. There are 8 eggs in there. I guess she figures that's enough.

 

[Borncountry419]

Glad she's setting! I always keep my fingers crossed that a hen will lay more eggs before she sets. But usually it's less. Lol. Hope the hatch goes well!

 

[csw987]

Its been so cold here in Missouri that I collect my duck eggs as soon as the hen leaves the nest. I put them in the incubator.
This is my first time with mandarins. Today she started to stay on her nest.pulled fuss and stayed in the nest. I hope I have not messed up. I had put a hen egg in the nest just so she would feel like she still had a egg. If I would have left her eggs they would all have frozen.
I took the hen egg out today.
Did I do the right thing?
Thanks csw

 

[angelfish2468]

I'm trying to find some new born Mandarin ducklings. Do you know of a place where they are available?