The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[BYC-user-174785]

Lots of ornamental ducks including mandarins have what's called an eclipse plumage. After breeding season they molt and their eclipse plumage resembles that of a female. He will regrow his colorful breeding plumage in the fall.

 

[gemimaduck]

Oh thank god, I burst into tears when I saw how different he looked I was so worried that I'd done something wrong. I have a female too and they do look very similar now. She looks fine though she doesn't seem to have changed at all. I feed them nuts and seeds and stuff like that sometimes pellets that my chickens eat. Can you recommend anything else for them? I Google care of mandarin/ornate ducks all the time and never really find anything useful or helpful!

 

[cajunfowl0]

This is what he looks like now

He is molting it is a natural thing that happens once a year after breeding season.

 

[cajunfowl0]

Oh thank god, I burst into tears when I saw how different he looked I was so worried that I'd done something wrong. I have a female too and they do look very similar now. She looks fine though she doesn't seem to have changed at all. I feed them nuts and seeds and stuff like that sometimes pellets that my chickens eat. Can you recommend anything else for them? I Google care of mandarin/ornate ducks all the time and never really find anything useful or helpful!

You can feed them mazuri but that's very expensive I feed all mine pheasant crumbles and rough rice sometimes hen scratch. I know several people who feed them what they feed they're chickens. Btw seeds and nuts is not a proper diet for these birds.

 

[gemimaduck]

Oh most of the websites iv looked at said that they can eat nuts and seeds. Iv given them chick crumbs before is that the same as pheasant crumbles? Thank you for your help, I'm very grateful to learn more about them! Any other information you can give me I'd be extremely grateful!

 

[gemimaduck]

Also is mazuri tortoise food or is there other types?

 

[cajunfowl0]

Oh most of the websites iv looked at said that they can eat nuts and seeds. Iv given them chick crumbs before is that the same as pheasant crumbles? Thank you for your help, I'm very grateful to learn more about them! Any other information you can give me I'd be extremely grateful!

Also is mazuri tortoise food or is there other types?

No it's not the same pheasant crumbles is higher in protein and I think it's better for them. Mazuri makes foods for all kinds of exotics but like I said its expensive I would only advise you buying it for the ducklings along with some mealworms to help them get started. Also don't house them with any domestics like chickens or domestic ducks they are prone to diseases carried by them.

 

[gemimaduck]

I wouldn't put anything in with my chickens they are evil and i had to separate them from my polish bantems because I was worried about them. Ok il look for pheasant crumbles online as I don't think they sell them in my area. I give them mealworms but they never seem that interested in them.

 

[JJRS]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/476437/mandarin-duck-thread-for-posting-pictures-and-discussing

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/46/ornamental-fowl-swans-etc

 

[duckmanjim]

Mazuri waterfowl maintenance! Its worth it! My birds do so much better on it! Its $20 for a 25 lb bag!