Stuck on color.

[destinduck]

Ill try to help with any questions you may have. Heres a tad about em They dont hybridize with other ducks.They do best in pairs but you can trio. First year birds can and will usually lay 6-8eggs. The most I had at once was14 off one hen. Although 8-12 is normal. They are good community ducks and dont mess with other ducks but can hold their own if they get picked on. They like raised boxes off the ground with a 4inch hole opening . I make mine about three foot up so I can peek in.The hens are great mothers. The babies when born can climb 4feet straight up most things and shoot thru1 inch chicken wire like its not even there. One of the easiest wild ducks to keep there is. I hope you;ll have good luck with them and enjoy everything about them.

 

[cskotek]

Ill try to help with any questions you may have. Heres a tad about em They dont hybridize with other ducks.They do best in pairs but you can trio. First year birds can and will usually lay 6-8eggs. The most I had at once was14 off one hen. Although 8-12 is normal. They are good community ducks and dont mess with other ducks but can hold their own if they get picked on. They like raised boxes off the ground with a 4inch hole opening . I make mine about three foot up so I can peek in.The hens are great mothers. The babies when born can climb 4feet straight up most things and shoot thru1 inch chicken wire like its not even there. One of the easiest wild ducks to keep there is. I hope you;ll have good luck with them and enjoy everything about them.

Thats the nesting box I made and used part of a real tree for the base. And thats the 1st pair of mandies I owned.

She only laid 3 eggs this fist time and only 1 made it to hatch.. which that duckling only made it a week before it passed.. I think it got too cold at night and killed it.. otherwise I have no idea what did it.

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Well the Batavia auction had so many white mandarins! Nice setup! You will need more boxes now with two pairs.

 

[cskotek]

Well the Batavia auction had so many white mandarins! Nice setup! You will need more boxes now with two pairs.

I look forward to getting more! I can give Ryan (boyfriend) something to do. He has herniated disks so he cant do much of anything. Does anyone have pics of their nesting boxes? I would like to see other ideas!

 

[destinduck]

Nice pen and good set up.

Heres a few box pics. I hope you can see the hardware cloth I stapled inside for the babies to hop out of. Not that they need it but I feel it helps the ringed teal and other birds that also used the raised boxes to get out of. I build mine two foot tall because over the years It seems like they are more comfy as the shallower ones