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Plucking ducks..never done it...advice ?

post #1 of 8
10/27/08 at 11:36pm
Thread Starter 

I've processed quite a few chickens in my day...but I have heard ducks are different . I have 4 that need to go . Any advice on how to pluck them ? I'm assuming it's not the same as chickens because their feathers are water repellent . Thanks in advance for any info !

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Be TRUE , Be YOURSELF , But most importantly , Be TRUE to yourself . If you can't look in the mirror everyday , and know you are a good human being , then what are you living for ?
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post #2 of 8
10/28/08 at 9:13am

Set aside extra, extra time that you will need to deal with all the down feathers.

Wife/Mother/Grandmother/Mini Farmer to 4 barking dogs, 7 spoiled Assorted Chickens, 1 White turkey, to many RingNeck Pheasants to count..........and lovin' every minute of it <3
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Wife/Mother/Grandmother/Mini Farmer to 4 barking dogs, 7 spoiled Assorted Chickens, 1 White turkey, to many RingNeck Pheasants to count..........and lovin' every minute of it <3
Proud to be an American & an independant Fundamental Baptist....
A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.
http://thecoblerscorner.blogspot.com
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post #3 of 8
10/28/08 at 9:47am

Add a little liquid dish soap to the 150* water , then submerge, lift up, etc a few times untill the soap disolves  oils and the hot water reaches the skin. Pluck like you would any chicken.   big_smile

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post #4 of 8
10/28/08 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acre of Blessings 

Set aside extra, extra time that you will need to deal with all the down feathers.


estimate how long you think it will take to dress them, then double it

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post #5 of 8
10/28/08 at 11:27am

I can tell you horror stories of plucking ducks.... Muscovy ducks.
We tried,
hot water
soap in the water
the wax method ( just picture a duck candle) it was that bad and messy!

So we just got a comfy chair and plucked and plucked and plucked.  Now we skin them, it goes alot quicker but you loose alot of the fat and the duck tends to dry out when you cook them so you have to baste more often.

We just start at the neck and skin down the front to the vent. Then work it over the wings and back and clean the inside as you normally would.

Steve in NC

 Midget White, Standard Bronze turkeys, Muscovy ducks, India Blue, White & Spaulding peafowl, Buff Orpington, Copper Black Marans Chickens, Corturnix quail and Ringneck Pheasants

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 Midget White, Standard Bronze turkeys, Muscovy ducks, India Blue, White & Spaulding peafowl, Buff Orpington, Copper Black Marans Chickens, Corturnix quail and Ringneck Pheasants

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post #6 of 8
10/29/08 at 12:14am
Thread Starter 

Thank you !!! Wasn't sure if I could just pluck them like chickens . I figured it wasn't going to be as easy as my hubby said ! We don't want to skin them....I wanted to ...hubby doesnt . Thanks for the advice again !

Be TRUE , Be YOURSELF , But most importantly , Be TRUE to yourself . If you can't look in the mirror everyday , and know you are a good human being , then what are you living for ?
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Be TRUE , Be YOURSELF , But most importantly , Be TRUE to yourself . If you can't look in the mirror everyday , and know you are a good human being , then what are you living for ?
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post #7 of 8
10/29/08 at 12:58pm

Growing up we cleaned A LOT of Pekins.
We skinned some and plucked some.  We dry plucked, no hot water or wax.

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post #8 of 8
10/29/08 at 1:00pm

I also dry plucked mine when we had them. Worked a lot better than scalding them.

BTW Japanese,mille fleur Jap project,  corturnix quail, some red chickens I got at TSC, one EE and 2 EE chicks, and some really poor pyncheons, 10 ducks and 2 welsh harlequin ducklings,  one pheasant hen, one pheasant chick, one MFC chick, 2 Norwegian Jaerhon chicks.
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BTW Japanese,mille fleur Jap project,  corturnix quail, some red chickens I got at TSC, one EE and 2 EE chicks, and some really poor pyncheons, 10 ducks and 2 welsh harlequin ducklings,  one pheasant hen, one pheasant chick, one MFC chick, 2 Norwegian Jaerhon chicks.
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