AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Does anyone on the forum have much luck with Mandarin ducks????? I have 2 pair and not 1 egg in 2 years the ducks are 3 and 4 years old. They don't show any signs of breeding or even trying to build a nest. Am I doing something wrong?? I feed them the same as the breeder I got them off I give them shell grit, plenty of greens, grains, ect.............. But not 1 egg???

I don't have them but a friend has 6 pairs and he has some troubles with some pairs only breeding every second year or sometimes every third, he don't know why but its just the way the breed is not good breeders. He offered me a pair for $150 but I said no don't need the hassles. I hope you get some eggs soon

By the sounds of things I am not the only one having trouble with them

Im sure you've done full research into correct diet for optimum health and what type of location Mandarin ducks feel safe to breed in. This is some stuff I found googling..

Feed Mandarin ducks incorrectly and they will not raise any babies. Most people who own Mandarin ducks rarely produce any ducklings, blaming it on past in-breeding. This is nonsense. The birds fail to breed because they have fatty deposits around their testicles or ovaries caused by poor diet. If Mandarin ducks can find budgie seed or parrot seed, they gorge themselves on it and become quite unhealthy.

Correct feeding entails dividing the year into two bits: the lean non-breeding period and the breeding period. During the lean non-breeding period (mainly in winter) the birds should be fed meagre rations of wheat, corn, sorghum and natural grassy forage.

During the breeding season, from early Spring, feed chicken grower crumbles and supplement the feeding with insects and natural forage.

This general principle of a "Rising Plane of Nutrition" stimulates successful breeding in dogs, cats, horses, cattle, humans and many other species. Clean drinking water is essential.

Breeding
Mandarin ducks demand very specific breeding sites preferring to nest near water and, ideally, with the nest box accessed from the water, ie: facing a pond or lake, and raised on a platform a metre or more above ground level, reached by a ramp. In the wild the ducks may nest 20m up trees. Females are considered good mothers if permitted to raise their own babies.

It's also important that the ducks aren't too fat leading up to breeding season, as they will not breed if carrying too much weight. A simple diet of grower pellets (available from stock supplies and pet shops) is all they need prior to and during the breeding season.

Space and housing
A secure enclosure is essential with pairs usually allowed a 2m x 2m pen, preferably with a small pond. True enthusiasts will often landscape the enclosures with reeds, grasses and plants to create a natural setting.

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/mandarin_duck.htm
http://www.gamebird.com/refs.html

Hopefully there's something helpful in there somewhere? Good luck

"Rising Plane of Nutrition" is spot on I followed this philosophy with my mandies 5 years ago and it makes ALL the difference so if you have mandies then I strongly recommend you follow the advice.

Well done roova on posting it you beat me to the punch

ive had terrible luck with my mandies so let me tell you about it:

in 2006 i bought a pair and had them for only a little while when, what do you know, the house sitter let the female out for a run, only to find out, too late, that they can fly, good bye female no.1.

In 2008 i bought 3 more a pair and a extra girl for my original boy a little while later the new male was looking funny so we gave him some general antibiotics for birds, and, what do you know, after a week of medication he died.
So i have this trio right, and its been a few monthe since the male died and one of the females starts to look a bit funny, i come out the next morning to find her dead, surprise, surprise.

in 2009 i have 1 pair the original male and one of the females from the trio thjat we'd bought the year before. its breeding season ans so i build a big beautiful nest box, and introduce chick crumbles into the diet i also get lots of lemmna duckweed and float it on there pond. They luv the duckweed and guzzle it like mad. The female lays 11 beautiful perfect eggs and sits on then for three weeks before deserting them i candled all the eggs and what do you know not a single babie i any of the eggs. She did not lay another clutch.

Its 2010 breeding season and im giving then the chicken c starter and the duckweed.
The female lays 3 eggs, and, you know what, decideds to die, not eggboung not anything, just dead.

So now its the 11.11.10 and i have 1 lone original male, still calling for his girl, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, she might come back.

And now you all no about my whole history with mandarin ducks. BUt depite what has happened to me with the breed i still want to try to breed the birds and will not give up on them that easily.

Have you given tham a nest box?

Yes I have 2 elevated nest boxes as they recommend. I must admit I did not know about the change in diet for different times of the year so I will try that as see if it makes any difference I HOPE SO they are a frustrating breed of duck that’s for sure.

Sorry to read about your troubles riverlook makes by woes look so minor

That is a very unfortunate tale. Personally with how much Mandarin's cost I would have been inclined to pay for a Vet autopsy. Especially after the 2nd death. It might give you an idea on how to stop any future deaths if its in your control?

yes i thought about an autopsy but just never got around to it and but the time i had time the flesh would have deteiriorated too much.