Mandarins Hate Us ....Help

[The Rabbits]

On Tuesday we acquired our first ducks - a lovely pair of Mandarins (drake & duck). They were hatched last Spring and have come from an environment with loads of various breeds of ducks, chickens & geese. They were used to human interaction from a retired couple that bred them for a hobby. We made a mistake by not completely having their 7ft x 9ft aviary ready. We bought them home with the intention of letting them loose in the garden which has a large fish pond, to get used to us and meanwhile finish their pond. The journey by car was about 1hr, when we opened the box they headed straight for the pond flapping away frantically (they are both pigeoned), they kept diving under the water and crept up under the decking around the pond. After a couple of hours they appeared again and jumped out of the pond, but whenever we approached them they flapped away. It was starting to get dark and were not able to usher them into the luxurious duck house we bought them and retreated under the decking again.We spent a sleepless night worring about them as we also have a cat with neighbouring cats. Next morning they were happily sitting outside the pond preening and we were quite relieved. Again once we approached them they dived in the water making them impossible to approach. We left them to it and finished their enclosure once and for all. Nearing dusk we tried to usher them but the Drake lept out under the log cabin and did not appear for 2 days.The duck we think scared and in shock was relatively easy to scoot into the secure pen. They are now both in their enclosure and have been together for 3 days now. We acquired some large logs for them to roost on as we now doubt they will use the house. They have a small pond of their own and fresh drinking water and pellets. Every time we approach them they get scared on tend to leap down into their pond for safety. They don't appear to be eating and have tried to tempt them with greens also. They sit on the log which is high up all day and there are no signs of improvement. We have also put a soft radio on in the ajoining garden shed to get more used to human voices, but not change. Our idea was only to shut them up in the aviary at night and to be in the garden during the day when we are around. Does anyone have pet mandarins that can offer any advice? They were not hand reared but will they eventually become tame or are we onto a lost cause. They are so lovely and do not want to give up on them but are thinking if there are no signs of improvement it may be best to return them as they are not happy at the moment, hate us and causing us a lot of concern. Any advise would be appreciated - thank you.

[BloomingMarvellous]

I have a pond and I just love seeing things come and go as they please. Sounds like you have a wonderful dream, bet it's not so wonderful for the Mandarins, even with their luxurious home.

[Lance Morgan]

Have they fed? You have not mentioned feeding. They will get to associate you with food and will soon settle.

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

Have they fed? You have not mentioned feeding. They will get to associate you with food and will soon settle.

OP says they are not eating, Lance

D.

[epops]

have a look here it may help Acorn Hollow Bantams - Mandarin Ducks

[Adam Cheeseman]

Confucius say...Hoisin sauce the answer.

[Doggle Avaddit]

Doggle says:

treat your animals how you would want a huge Space Alien who suddenly lands on your planet to treat you.

[Jonners]

I don't know anything about ducks, but I would imagine that they need time to become used to their new surroundings, and then time to get used to you. They may well have felt some security in being with other birds at their previous home, so might feel threatened when you approach. I would try and keep my distance as much as possible to start with, but not hide from them - let them get used to seeing you around, but maybe avoid going after them or doing anything that they might interpret as in any way a threat. The most important thing is that they feed - if you leave food for them, but then retire to a safe distance, they will hopefully soon get to know that YOU bring them food, and that you are not a danger to them. I hope they're eating when you're not watching, in that I hope they're eating, but you don't know about it, rather than them not eating at all. I'm sure that they're not capable of hating you, but they probably are very scared at the moment. I hope things begin to improve for them - as Doggle said, it's a bit like us suddenly being taken away from our safe, familiar surroundings, by someone, or something we've never seen before, to somewhere we've never been before. Let's hope in time they get used to it all - do keep us posted

[Tursiops2]

"Mandarins Hate Us ....Help"

I sympathise... with the Mandarins . Not wanting to be rude, but I don't think I'd be too keen on someone who subjected me to all that trauma, clipped my wings (it's "pinioned", by the way, not "pigeoned"), kept me confined to a garden pond, and treated me as an ornament purely for their own pleasure.

Horses for courses, but this site is about wildlife, not pets.

[loripo]

I'm not sure at what stage wings are clipped but if they were 'flapping' frantically they were obviously trying to fly and couldnt - no wonder they are stressed enough not to eat. These arent domesticated birds are they....