The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[destinduck]

The only thing I would say is if you want alot of babies ,COVER. Plants,branches, lots of cover around the edge of your ponds and maybe some floating houses even if just hay and reeds floating on strofoam. I definitely believe this is the number one reason for having great breeding . You can barely walk in my pens at the end of February. The hens want to hide the best they can. HUGE difference how many babies you have!!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yep, I agree there, with all type of gamebirds, the more natural looking you can keep the pens, the better your breeding sucess.

If you can afford them, yes I'd jump on some smew, no different in care than hoodies, and are a beautiful duck to me. They are hoodies have been know to cross, but none of mine ever did here and were kept together. For biakals, your spot on there. They always do best in a HEAVY planted pen, thick cover, and even better, a pen by themselves.
They were always my most difficult bird to get to breed. Come breeding season, they love to be secluded, so make as few trips in or around their pen as possible and dont mess with them while you are in there, that along with a baikal pen that is heavily planted is about the best way to go with them.
Bare open pens with a big population of birds, they'll never lay an egg, look pretty, but that's it.

 

[kangababy]

Thanks!! I'll have to check to see if the smews are still available..

As for the teal.. I'll get them in the fall after the old pen is turned into the brooder/pen..

I'm still gwtting ready for all the ducklinha I'm going to have..
Start making your list.. I started working on my website today And will share it when it is ready and take any inputs.. Putting pictures of the different birds and their descriptions could take a while!

 

[jsvand5]

Quote:
I bought a pair of Smew a few months back. They are probably my favorite birds now. Mine are first year birds so they don't have their adult colors, but I like them because they seem to stay in the pond more than any of my other birds. They also seem more tolerant of me. They cost me a lot, but I think they are worth it.

 

[kangababy]

Quote:
I bought a pair of Smew a few months back. They are probably my favorite birds now. Mine are first year birds so they don't have their adult colors, but I like them because they seem to stay in the pond more than any of my other birds. They also seem more tolerant of me. They cost me a lot, but I think they are worth it.

I think they are cool ooking little birds and I love my divers.. only worried about the cross breeding but since BBB said go for it I will proably be checking on them this weekend to see if they are still available!

Like I need them though

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

oh you need them, cause eventually I NEED THEM LOL

Like both of you said though, they are one of the coolest divers to me, I've always loved crested ducks and divers, so they and the hoodies have it both going for them.

Oh and yes, due to their legs being set so far back, like most divers, they do tend to spend more time on water than others. And, mine too were always some of my tamest ducks. I did have one male for years that actually imprinted on me, made him usless for a breeder, but one heck of a cool pet.

Everyday when I would come it, he'd be out there paseing the gate waiting for me.. followed me every where like a lost puppy, would get in my lap if I were to sit down, and would only eat if I held the food for him, cutest thing you ever saw, so ever since then, I've always had a soft spot for smew. Course, I always wished he'd breed, but he thought he was people..bad too, back then they were $1200 a pr for yearlings, that may make yall feel better about paying $500 for them now, LOL

 

[waterdog]

Kanga
You will definately enjoy the smews if you get them, we have kept them for a number of years now and they are one of our favorites. We have always kept even pairs of them and never had any problems with them crossing with the hoodeds. We have one little hen that waits by the gate as well and follows to the pond to get the Mazzuri. The courtship displays of the drakes is fun to watch as well.

 

[roocrazy]

is there a list of breeds that you dont need a permit for???

 

[KansasKid]

EDITED: The following pdf file is to state the final list of all nonnative, human-introduced bird species to which the migratory bird treaty ac does not apply, as required by the MBTRA of 2004. Including all nonnative, human-assisted species that belong to any of the families referred to in the treaties an whose occurrence in the United States and its territories have been documented in the scientific literature. IT is not however an exhaustive list of all the nonnative species that could potentially appear in the united states or its territories as a result of human assistance.





http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/R...Final List of Excluded Species March 2005.pdf

 

[roocrazy]

common shelducks
ruddy shelducks
red-crested pochard
rosy-billed pochard
white bellied whistling tree ducks
maned duck
ringed teal
philipean ducks
hottentot teal
mandrin ducks

are the only breeds you can raise without having a permit???