The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[KansasKid]

I leave tomorrow to go and pick out my mandarin ducklings and was wondering if any body had any tips on picking out the best male and female of the bunch.

 

[Matapatos]

No idea... I got a pair this past spring, the male was way picked on and looked crappy, the hen wasn't too bad. But the price was right! Since then they have plumed out and are right where they should be. His sails are back and is among the best I've seen! So given time, I'm sure there won't be a problem as far as plumage goes... I would say try and pick out a bonded pair, that way they will settle down easier, since they know each other. I dunno....

Travis

BBB,
How long between clutches do the hens go? If they lose their first batch, how long does it take her to reset and lay her second clutch?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
Spot on with the advise, though is they are yearlings they wont be paired yet, but yes a mandarin is a mandarin pretty much, there's not really any type of quality class to them. Just make sure they are fat and healthy, in good, clean aviaries, and basically decent looking, and you're good to go. If you keep them in the same manner, they will all be gorgeous once feathered up.

Travis,
It depends on how old they are, what time in the season it is etc.
Early season, older mature hens can start again in a week or two, younger or late season, a month or may not at all. If they actually start the brooding process before you take them, a second clutch is a slim chance too, best to take them before hand and usually they start right back up. Once the brooding cycle starts, their biological "clock" knows they have done their job for the year and shuts down, sort of speak. Biologically, these birds are programed to raise 1 clutch per year, though we can manipulate that a little, if you take them early, but once they brood, it kind of tells them, your done.
I always left a hen egg in their box and pulled them daily. This way they lay more, and as hot as it gets here, you don't run a risk of cooking them in the box too.

Kansan Kid, glad you found the thread, and even glad-er you found your mandarins at a good price locally too! You're gonna love them I'm sure
Keep us posted on how they do for you!

Aubrey

 

[Matapatos]

Thanks for the info! I took them after a week and a half so she may be done unless I can find some eggs to put under her. She is going in and out of the nest box a lot, and her neck feathers are about gone, due to the Drake!

I'm still hoping, but all that you said makes perfect sense. Thanks again!

Travis

Hope your pen setup is coming along... My other is just starting to have the grass come up, if I can keep the neighbors dog out of it!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

no problem.
Had to stop on the big avairy to get some more pushing bantam pens done for a lot of my d'anver and phoenix color projects, 350+ chicks are growing quick and got to come out of the brooder now, so I had to back up and punt on the waterfowl one. Just dropped a grand today on building matterials for 24 more bantam stalls, once I get that out of the way, I'll be back to the waterfowl one.

If your girl is going in and out a lot, she may possible do another one, but I also always noticed mine would do that a lot with no production. Guess it was just to get away from it all for a bit and have some peace and quite

 

[Matapatos]

Another question... I just put some tin over the pen for shelter, but mostly shade from the sun. It gets around a 100 degrees for a few weeks here in UT. If I have, say, 75% of the pen shaded and 25% open for them to sun themselves, and the pond is in the shade, is that ok? I've never read or heard anything on shade to sun ratio, or anything at all on the subject. What is the general concensus on that? Do they need more sun? Sun at all? Is it better to have cooler water and smaller areas of sun? Winter? Summer? There are lots of questions on my mind... Do they need more sun in the winter as opposed to summer?

Travis

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

well, like us they get vitamins from the sun, so best not to block it out entirely , but you should be good like that, heat protection is really the main concern right now (kind of envious of just a couple weeks of 100!) we have it for a few months, heat index for the past week here has been 110ish, AC cant even keep up, runs nonstop.
Anyway,
no shade is needed in the winter though, mine only had the oak trees in the aviary to start with, they can all for the most part handle any winter conditions and the sun is always welcome to them then. Even now tropical species like it, treeducks, certain teals and such. but yes as long as you have some shade in there, they will find it and get in a comfortable spot when they get too hot, shaded pond is a good idea too, keeps algae growth slowed. Another thing I did when it got horribly hot here was to have misters going in the ponds, especially for the sea ducks and divers. Used PVC pipe to supply all the pond, just put a adjustable garden nozzle on it and turn it down to a very fine setting, they'll spend most of the day under it, in the shade or not..
Hope that helps a nit

 

[Matapatos]

That does help... They can get the sun if they need it. We'll just have to see how it goes the rest of the summer and into the winter. This first year will be a learning year for sure. I tok some more pics of the pen and birds, they are in the duck pond/pool sticky. I can't wait to get my other birds. I went with 2 split/silver pairs of woodies, 1 pair of ring tea, and 1 pair of Chiloe wigeon. I am really excited! Also, I have 5 valley quail I just got as day olds, can I put them in with the waterfowl and be ok? Of course when they are full grown. Not many quail, but its the best setup I have for them... If I need to I can put them somewhere else, but I'd prefer not to.

Travis

 

[1lpoock]

My avairy is mostly all sun and some shade in random spots throughout the day. The ducks either swim or sit in the tiny spots of shade.

 

[KansasKid]

I Want to upload some pictures really bad but for now ill just say this, i found some reasonably priced mandarins for sale within driving range, i talked my parents into a little vacation and the next thing i know i am picking out a drake and hen mandarin and to my surprise the constant whisper of my parents that had been bugging me all day turned out to be a joyous moment when they announced that as an early birthday gift they would buy me another hen. So as ecstatic as i was about the whole ordeal it got better when the seller, seeing how young i was and the trip we made, added another duckling for free!!!!!! so all in all we went for a vacation and 2 ducks, and returned with 4!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUESTION? -it's understandable that i won't see them feeding and drinking tonight but if they don't start drinking and feeding by tomorrow afternoon What should i do?