The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[Dbreeder]

What do you have laying soo far?

 

[exoticduckluvr]

2 pr Mandarin, 2 pr Fulvous, Cinnamon Teal, and Chiloe. Fulvous eggs got rolled out for the 2nd time this season. Think the White-faced are the culprits as I saw them checking out a nest box near by. Both Fulvous hens were sharing the same nest

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

my whiteface were always nest dumpers, would be a good bet it was them

 

[exoticduckluvr]

hmmmmm guy coming to get all my Fulvous asked about the White-faced too. maybe I should go ahead and be rid of them and have no whistlers which is kind of what I wanted anyway but they are so pretty. I caught them red handed trying to get into the Cin Teal box but they were to big and Mom Cin with a fiesty little witch attacking them from the entrance

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, I dont know what their deal was, but every pair I ever had would dump every nest they saw. They sure are pretty though

 

[kangababy]

So Alabama is having crazy weather...
After tornados last week an no power for 5 days starting Tuesday night our lows will be around 40..

I have eggs everywhere but not alot of setters... Should I pull them or just let them be.

After I pulled the 7 goldeneye eggs she started laying again after a week. This weather has them all kind of mess up

 

[thekid]

What would happen if you didnt keep the exotic ducks in pairs like what if i kept them in like a group? If I could keep them in a group how big would the cage have to be?

 

[KansasKid]

Are you talking like 8 of ones species together or like 8 different species together?

 

[thekid]

Im talking like 12 pairs of wood ducks together

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
then they are still paired.
groups would be like 2 males and 22 hens.
In some species like goldeneye, that can work, well not that extreme, 2-3 extra hens is fine. But in others, mix breeding or sterile eggs will be the result is all. You wont have fighting issues unless the male ratio is super high over the hens.
In groups like you are talking about is what we all refer to as community pens, everyone does that. With the exception of just a few species like shelducks, no one keeps them 1 pair to 1 pen (like pheasants)
That's one of the major pluses to keeping waterfowl, you can build one large pen and just fill it up with what you like and usually have little to no issues with fighting or mix breeding.
Pens not cages though. To be a cage is a off the ground wire box like show chickens are kept in. If this is you thought, pass on them, they will beat themselves to death in something like that, especially wood ducks, they are the flightyest of all the waterfowl.
You need at minimum a 10x10 to me for a pair of ducks, after that, add at least an additional 50 sqfeet or so per addition pair, which for 12 pair of wood ducks would equal out to a 600 sqft pen, or a 20x 30. Bare in mind, this is bare minimum, bigger is always better. The more room they have the more comfortable they will be. A constantly stressed bird will be super flighty, pase the fence all the time, and you'll never get an egg from them.

Hope that helps a bit