The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[HottentotTeal]

This is my first pair and my preferred choices were either Ringed Teal or Hottentot Teals.

I went with the Hottentots since they had them in stock and they were my favourite of the 2.

From what i saw posted on here, many of the teals are pretty easy to take care of and my Hottentots are very quiet.


They are so easy to take care of. I feed them when i wake up and when i get home from work. I clean their pond out once a week and that is pretty much it.

They loaf most of the day by the pond or in it and sleep in it at night. They won't let me pet them, but will eat right in front of me if i am in the aviary.


I have a thread in my signature of my aviary setup if you want to look for some ideas or my experience with them. I'm not sure if you have a big farm or a lot of land or just a little bit of space.

I had about 5.5'x14' to work with and it's plenty of room for a pair.

EDIT:

Also, if you are still undecided or they don't have a specific brand in stock, you can just ask what she would recommend. She has quite a few breeds to choose from. I don't know if right now is a good time to buy them, since it's winter, unless you plan to pick them up.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

any species od dabbler ducks (puddle ducks) are fairly easy to keep. Most all of what they have is on the easy side anyway, they dont have any of the super rare hard to keep stuff. You should pass on the goldeneyes , ruddy ducks,and mergansers for now, but other than that, any will do go for beginers

 

[kangababy]

Thoughts on Shellducks?? I am thinking about getting a pair tomorrow!! Yeah I have a duck problem..

Getting some ferruginous white eyes and maybe Paradise Shelduck...

Who knows maybe a common goldeye though i have the Barrows and think that might not be a good idea! and soe Red Crested Pochard I love my divers.. lol!! I don't need any more ducks.. I need to get rid of a few!

 

[KansasKid]

Ya you have a bad addiction, best to cut back and get rid of some of your ducks, i'll take them off your hands as long as it helps you cope.

I'm hoping to get some regular Bahama pintails soon.

 

[kangababy]

Quote:
yeah I went by to see the others breeders pen after the snow and these ducks that he has of a few other breeders close by he is helping to sell because I wanted pair.. Then this shellduck, I thought is was the drake because it was prettier, started following me around the outside of the pen like a watch dog and I decided I needed a pair of those... Lol.. Think after this season I will be getting rid if my greenwing teal.

 

[KansasKid]

Who has the shelducks? And why are you thinking of getting rid of your green wings?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I've got a couple of post about the shelducks in the front, how to care for them and all.
They are very beautiful and I have always loved them, they just as a general rule arent good community pen birds, with the exception of the european and radjah.

Yep, also the hen on the paradise is the pretty one, kinda backwards on them.

you'll love the white eyes too, they are very nice birds

As for the american goldeneyes, you best get some, no problems with the barrow's. I always kept am, barrow's and buffle head all in the same pens and never once had an issue. The barrows are a good bit bigger than the american, and a touch agressive, but not bad.
Never had a mixing issue with them even kept together. And that green shine to the americans head is beautiful. Personally, I'd get them before any others on that list you mentioned, but that's just me, I love those high end divers..... let us know what you end up getting, good luck

got to go hunting now

 

[exoticduckluvr]

Mine European are aggressive, well the drake is for 9 months of the year, during courtship and breeding season. My pen is to small I guess to mix them with the smaller ducks.
I had to lock them in my isolation part of the aviary which is about 10 x 5'. They are not happy with so little room either with the big nest tunnel and water pan. My hen laid 2 clutches last yr(first time she laid) but wouldn't sit them in the isolation pen. She laid about 20 eggs first clutch which I removed when I never saw her sit them after 3 weeks and 2 weeks later started laying again about another 17 eggs. Again she didn't sit them. So if anyone want to buy them I have been trying to sell them to someone that will take good care of them. I had posted them here for sale but was contacted by someone I didn't feel was going to give them a good home so I removed the ad before he decided to hit the buy it now button. I want what I paid for them almost 3 yrs ago 150.00 if anyone here on this forum wants them. They need plenty of room if going into a mixed aviary. 17' x 40' with 1/4 of pen being a pool is not large enough I don't know if my drake is trying to drown the other drakes or trying to breed them. He does this until the hen decides she is ready to breed with him. So if anyone is interested just p.m. me.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, that kinda goes back to the general rule of them all not being real good community buddies. I should have added my community pens at the smallest were 10,000 sqft. Gives everybody room to avoid the shelducks corners, lol
and none mix at all with other shelducks too, be it same species or different, 1 pr or trio per pen, period.

Sounds like he was over loaded on testosterone if he was breeding males. I dont think he was trying to kill them, just extra, um, frisky shall we say, LOL
Usually, they grap and pull chunks out of others, wing beat them, and just basically try to stomp them out, sounds like your boy is just full of love that he needed to share

No, I never had any of mine go broody. I have heard of folks that did, but none I ever had did, but yep, once they do start to breed, boy they lay a pile dont they.

$150 is a great breeder price yall, wish I had a pen ready I get them in a heart beat.

 

[roocrazy]

getting mandrins. need some answers to my questions.

.How are mandrins in harsh winters?
.How broody are mandrins?
.Do mandrins get along with a mixed flock?
.How much room does a pair of mandrins need?
.Are mandrins good mothers or do I have to take ducklings away?
.Are mandrins friendly?


Thanks