The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[Scott]

To anyone interested, I've got several mandarins for sale.

I've got a regular trio (2 males and 1 hen) for $75

I've also got a pair of white mandarins for $125.

These are 09 hatches. If interested, send me an email as I dont check PMs very often.

I accept PayPal only. Shipping would be $60 for either the pair or the trio.

 

[Matapatos]

How about the molt? My birds haven't gone through a molt yet, my drake just lost a sail, but that is the extent of the molt for them so far... All the guys I know around here have had their birds going through the molt for a month now... When I got him in Feb he was in rough shape, could barely tell he was a drake because him and another drake had picked at each other so much. Could that keep him from going through the normal molt this year?

Travis

 

[HottentotTeal]

Do you have any information on duck sign language?

I have noticed that they will stand real tall and stretch themselves and flap their wings a few times while standing still. I think the male does this a lot. (edit: i totally forgot, there is a picture of one of them doing that in my avatar)

Also, they both will stretch their neck and head forward parallel with the ground and kind of scoop their head up slightly when they are done. They usually flap their wings just a little bit right before doing this neck stretch/head scooping.

I'm thinking they are just stetching or maybe getting water off them, because they tend to do this when they get out of the pond.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
na, he'll do it, most of my birds would do it about this til of year, July-August usually, and would color back up again in mid fall.
Once they start it doesnt take long to go from gorgious to drab

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
LOL

I was thinking the same thing once I started reading this, YOU MEAN LIKE IN YOUR AVATAR?, LOL

Yes, those are just stretching moves, like a house cat stretching out fully erect in a line.
In the spring you'll notice a lot more, synchronized head bobbing, and such, these are more courtship displays, the main on with teal and a lot of other dabbler species is while on the water, the male will do a quick head shake usually followed by a load peep, sound, usually arching the tail up and forward, and throwing the head back, and usually paddling its feet really fast up and down slightly raising it straight up in the water, all a very quick 1/2 a second display, but the ladys love it..

 

[Matapatos]

True, True... He is lookin a bit shabby right now... Good news is I have some birds coming this fall that I am very excited about! My other pen is not finished, however I don't think its a big deal til they start multiplyin! The pen I have is 14'X26' and prob around 93% covered in drought resistant, tough field grass. I hope it does well this coming winter and comes back next spring. I will have 5 pairs of ducks in this pen, one pair will be Chiloe Wigeon, my question is, will that pen be large enough for them? That is until I get my other one finished next spring or so? Hope the summer is going well for all of you! I'm dying in these 95 degree days, but I know many of you have even hotter days than that!
61 days til duck season!

Travis

 

[KansasKid]

Quote:

Are we considered Hypocrite's since we Hunt & Raise em. lol

Excited, ordered my ring teal and working on my new 36x16 pen. The heats a killer.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

haha,
you too need to move down here...
we've been there since mid May, been 110-115 with the ol heat index for the past 2.5-3 months, and no signs of getting better til late September.

I wouldnt say hypocrites though, just true lovers of waterfowl, after all, without hunting to help keep populations in check, they can quickly over populate themselves and cause the own species to go into decline, look at what the snow geese have done...

Anyway, yes, you'll be fine Travis, in the "off" season, they dont need as much room as they do during breeding season, so there should be no problems there other than the grass taking more of a toll. sounds like the most aggressive ones you have are the chiloe's, which arent too bad to start with, so you should be just fine....

 

[KansasKid]

Do you have to have a permit for the Chiloe wigeons.

 

[Matapatos]

Not for the Chiloe as they are not on the USFWS Migratory Bird Treaty Act List, that was a mouthful... They are not native to the US. They are basically like chickens up here... Heck no, we aren't hypocrites! We give more back to the earth than most animal "lovers" that won't spend money on a Duck Stamp or donate to conservation organizations, such as DU., because of their close involvement with hunting, AKA, wildlife management for the good of the wildlife and us! I love these birds and can't wait to get some in my freezer! C'mon Oct 2nd!

Travis