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Mandarin duck
(Aix
galericulata)
I
purchased my
first Mandarin ducks while
visiting a friends pheasant farm, they quickly became one of my
favorite. The Mandarin is a small perching duck closely
related to
the American Wood duck,
they are native to both European and Far East
regions.
The
Mandarin duck is prized for its symbolism of beauty,
happiness and fidelity.....a pairing will develop a strong
bond. 
The female looks much like the
Wood duck
female. The drake in breeding plumage is probably the best
looking
duck around. The bill is a bright red and the top of
the head has almost a florescent green and purple
feathers running down the back of the head. The eyes are
surrounded by white feathers running
back
down the neck followed by whisker like feathers off the neck
in a chestnut color.
The breast is a deep wine color with white below.
Probably
the most distinguishing part of the drakes are the
orange sails that stand up behind the
wings.
What I like most in the colors is that they are very
distinct and cut, they don't blend in to other
parts of the body. Mandarins are quiet, easy
to keep and can tolerate the northern climates as
long as shelter is provided for extreme cold or heat.
They are fairly easy to obtain and do not
require a federal permit. Courtship
begins in winter with the breeding season starting in
April. In the wild they can be found nesting in
tree cavities close to water.
For the waterfowl hobbyist the same raised nesting box that is
used by the Wood duck is also used by the
Mandarin.
They make good mothers, normally laying one clutch of
8 to 12 eggs, with a hatching period of 28 days. Except for
one male, I keep mine full wing in an outdoor aviary I have
built.
In it I have some large branches for them to perch on. They are good
fliers so either overhead netting should be used or they should be
pinioned or the flight feathers kept clipped. Like many wild
ducks, Mandarins are skittish and don't tame as easily as domestic
ducks. They also usually do not do well being displayed in
poultry shows.
The female looks much like the
Wood duck
female. The drake in breeding plumage is probably the best
looking
duck around. The bill is a bright red and the top of
the head has almost a florescent green and purple
feathers running down the back of the head. The eyes are
surrounded by white feathers running
back
down the neck followed by whisker like feathers off the neck
in a chestnut color.
The breast is a deep wine color with white below.
Probably
the most distinguishing part of the drakes are the
orange sails that stand up behind the
wings.
What I like most in the colors is that they are very
distinct and cut, they don't blend in to other
parts of the body. Mandarins are quiet, easy
to keep and can tolerate the northern climates as
long as shelter is provided for extreme cold or heat.
They are fairly easy to obtain and do not
require a federal permit. Courtship
begins in winter with the breeding season starting in
April. In the wild they can be found nesting in
tree cavities close to water.
For the waterfowl hobbyist the same raised nesting box that is
used by the Wood duck is also used by the
Mandarin.
They make good mothers, normally laying one clutch of
8 to 12 eggs, with a hatching period of 28 days. Except for
one male, I keep mine full wing in an outdoor aviary I have
built.
In it I have some large branches for them to perch on. They are good
fliers so either overhead netting should be used or they should be
pinioned or the flight feathers kept clipped. Like many wild
ducks, Mandarins are skittish and don't tame as easily as domestic
ducks. They also usually do not do well being displayed in
poultry shows.
| For 2007 I have installed some cameras in a few of the nest boxes, the information along with photos can be found in the nest box photo blog section. |
| Nest box descriptions can be found in the Pens page 2 section, additional photos can also be found in the Photo Gallery. |
Go to:
Mandarins page 2
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Copyright © 2008 Giffs Farm. All rights reserved. All photos are property of Jeff Gifford, please contact me for permission prior to downloading copying or using any of the photos. Thanks!
Mandarins page 2
Home | Waterfowl | Pens | Raised Pens | Cold Frame Aviary | Brooders | Feed | Water | For Sale | Feedback
Copyright © 2008 Giffs Farm. All rights reserved. All photos are property of Jeff Gifford, please contact me for permission prior to downloading copying or using any of the photos. Thanks!