The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[KansasKid]

The ingrown looking feathers were dispersed everywhere more on breast and back though. i'll post a pic tomorrow when i wet the hide and scrape.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

probabley just seeing the quills, or some possible blood feathers.
Every one I have ever skinned of any duck looks similar like that, but a pic will help for sure.
most taxidermist pay about 1/2 of what a live bird is worth. Hard to get double your money on a dead one unless you find a competion taxidermist and the bird is SUPER EXCELLENT in quality then you can get good money for them. But here, no one will pay much for anything dead, may be different in other areas. If you know a competition taxidermist, you have it made though, BUT they have to be in PERFECT condition. Draw back to that is dead ones in an aviary setting are usually all screwed up time you find them. And they only for the most part want full adult males.

 

[KansasKid]

hmm. Well at least you can get something for it. I plan on taking my own sweet time on him. Last fully mounted one i did (first one too) didn't turn out all that great and this guy is going on display when i'm done.


Back to live ducks. so is this new drake out of luck breeding this year or is there anyway i can get that one hen out of there into the other pen without stopping the one hens laying?

 

[Matapatos]

I did't go back and look, but depending on the bird, they will pay twice as much for one dead, great quality bird than for a live pair! $100 for a good quality, 2nd year drake mandarin is pretty standard and can go for more... And we can buy the pair alive for $50! Its crazy! But if its a north american bird, then you can't even gift it to the taxidermist without having the sale and disposal Federal permit... Check around if you're wanting to make some money on taxi birds! I just looked, and its a drake mandarin you have... They can bring a pretty penny. the taxi's that want to mount the exotics get on a waiting list, every year for a couple different breeders that specialize in taxidermy quality birds and usually only end up getting a couple every year unless they have a close connection!
I hunt and want some birds mounted from these hunts so I'll be workin some trade work with my taxidermist! He is exited to be gettin some birds!

Travis

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
Why cant you just toss the new male in with the hen in the big pen?

You can go in and catch the hen you want with him, but anything like that can often throw the others off laying. They need to be as stress free as possible right now.
I'd just put him in the old pen with everyone and go with it seeing how they are all starting.

 

[toejam]

Well, I got just a few more questions...
What type of fence is best?
How tall does the fence need to be?
How much is a pair of white faced tree ducks?
I know tree ducks need winter protection, but what do you have to do?
And how can I get my dad to say yes lol

 

[waterdog]

Quote:
Yes taxidermist will pay more than people wanting to breed the birds, a competion grade white mandarin drake for example is worth about 150.00 to a taxidermist and a live pair is worth about 125.00 to a breeder sounds crazy I know but it is true.

 

[destinduck]

Waterdog is dead on. And the key to all these great prices is great feather full colors mature bird basically a perfect specimen nothing less. Unfortunely it always seem to be my females that die or they are beat up or pecked on when I find one dead

But yes one time I sold a pefect regular manderin for 150 dollars so I could buy more birds

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
depending on what all you plan to get
fence can be just 1 or 2 inch chicken wire, welded wire is stronger though, smaller mesh size for teal obviously

6 foot high min. I always did 12
white face run about $125 - $150
treeducks can handle mild winters, but for northerners, a heated barn is best, doesnt have to be 100, just above 20 or so. It gets in the low teens here from time to time and they all did fine out in it. But for constant sub 20 temps they do need some minimal heating.

beg!

 

[toejam]

Yes! We have some poultry netting and I got $75 dollar tractor supply card for fencing... Too bad the tree ducks need winter protection.. Maybe someday...

I'm getting closer and closer... I am working on a deal with him. I have ALL summer lol.