Mandarins can readily be maintained in an aviary with a small pond or on a lake and anything in between, they are very adaptable. If provided with a suitable nesting site in the spring they will almost certainly lay, in the wild they nest in hollow trees, frequently using discarded woodpecker nest sites. Consequently in captivity they like to have a nest box that can be at ground level but they have a preference for a raised box. See the page on nest box design and placement for more details. The clutch will usually consist of between 9 and 12 eggs and incubation is usually around 30 days. Most Mandarin females will happily incubate but they will also readily recycle if the clutch is removed for artificial incubation. In captivity many waterfowl do not necessarily have much success at rearing their own young and Mandarins are no exception and in most circumstances artificial incubation and rearing will produce better results.
