DUCKS??! when is a good age to butcher.....? and chick question.....

[MentoringMom]

A couple months ago I bought 4 pekins to use as breeders. The guy had 3 pekin/appleyard mixes he wanted to get rid of for cheap, so I thought I'd take them for Christmas dinner. I had no idea at the time that ducks are usually slaughtered young. Now they are at least 20 weeks and it's time for them to go, as I have 4 drakes with only 3 hens. Will they be tough and gamey like an older chicken and only good for stew, or will they still be good for roasting? How difficult will it be to defeather them, or will it be better to skin them? We are fairly new to slaughtering and have never slaughtered ducks before, so any tips would be much appreciated.

 

[Nikosbirds]

First off, they should still be fine for meat. Depends also on how you want to prepare. If I were in your position, I would try to see how many feathers I could remove, then skin and butcher. If you chop the skin into matchbook sized pieces and put it in a pot with a couple cups of water, you can render the fat. Duck fat is highly prized among professional chefs for multiple reasons, namely cooking potatoes and meat.If getting the feathers off is too difficult, you may decide it's too much trouble. You don't have to get all the feathers off for rendering, just most. Then I would butcher the ducks and package the breasts and legs/ wings separately, then make stock with the carcasses.

 

[crycat]

If you don't like them perhaps you can find a good home for them instead of killing them for getting on your nerves...