Ringed teal

Due to their small size Ringed Teal can be easily predated and this perhaps makes them particularly suitable for keeping in an aviary where a higher degree of protection can be provided. If being kept in an aviary they can also be maintained full winged and they can then be seen perching or flying up to elevated nest boxes that adds yet more interest. They readily become very tame and are a delightful duck to keep. 

Dabbling Ducks are generally hardy, easy to maintain and easy to breed. Shelter may be required by some of the smaller species in winter. They should be provided with cover (including marginal pond cover) and loafing areas as well as water. A pen which is 50% water is suggested. The water may be shallow (i.e. no more than two feet deep is required), and muddy areas for dabbling in are also appreciated. These ducks are generally good in mixed collections, although the smaller and quieter species may be bullied. Territorial disputes between ducks of the same species may be avoided by keeping only one pair of each species in an enclosure, unless the area is very large. For a single pair of ducks a pen are of 50 to 100 square metres, depending on the size of duck, should be provided.

A diet based on wheat and pellets is suggested, with maintenance pellets changed to breeders pellets for the breeding season. Bread and greenfood are also appreciated. Grit should always be available, with soluble grit (e.g. oystershell grit) as a calcium source when breeding.

Most species are ground nesters and both close ground cover and ground level nest boxes should be provided. Hand-rearing is generally preferred, as these ducks are generally poor parents in captive conditions, particularly in enclosures shared with other waterfowl. These ducks are prone to hybridization, particularly with closely related species, which should be kept apart from one another.

Ringed Teal can usually be expected to breed in their first year and as with other species that originate from sub-tropical regions they can have a very extended breeding season. They can lay from March through to September so a number of clutches can be anticipated in a season if the eggs are taken for artificial incubation. They nest in hollow trees in the wild and consequently require nest boxes in captivity and while they prefer a box raised off the ground this is by no means essential.

While they are relatively easy to breed it is not always straight forward to get the first clutch but once this has been achieved they will usually continue to lay many clutches in a season. The pair actively work together looking for a suitable nest site and it does pay to have a number of potential sites for them to investigate, this helps to stimulate the breeding process and the laying of the first egg, once this has been achieved almost nothing will stop them from laying.

If they are seen investigating potential nest boxes but do not actually lay it may be sensible to either add one or two additional nest boxes or slightly change the positions of the available nest boxes that may help trigger the laying of the first egg.

The ideal relative humidity for incubating most waterfowl eggs is 55% (ground nesters) and 40% (cavity nesters). The temperature is usually 37.4°C. Set ventilation as recommended by the incubator manufacturer. Eggs must be turned, either automatically or by hand, a minimum of 4 times a day. As the duckling develops there is a loss of water from the egg and the air sac gets bigger. In normal development of an egg with a 24-28 days incubation, the air sac occupies about a third of it three days earlier. Cleanliness is vital and ideally eggs should be moved to a separate hatcher at this point, where the humidity should be increased to 65% and even higher once they have pipped internally.