Raising & Processing Muskovy Ducks

[tlb796]

Just wanted to hear from any and all of you that have raised Muskovies for meat.
At what age do you butcher?
What do you feed?
Butcher weights?
Please chip in with any experience you may have had no matter how minimal.
Thanks

 

[Red Maple Farms]

I process at about 16 weeks. They are feed grower mash @16% protein mixed with water. The hens weigh about four to five pounds dressed, and the drakes seven to eight pounds.

I use duck wax to get a clean carcass.

Here is an 8.2 pounder:

 

[tlb796]

Beautiful!
How is plucking at that age? Have you ever butchered any as young as twelve weeks?

 

[tlb796]

Duck wax?

 

[Funky Feathers]

Yeah, what is duck wax? Where do you get it? Do older birds (3+ years) tend to be tough even when roasted a long time?

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Duck wax:

http://www.shopblendedwaxes.com/Juniors-Duck-Wax.html (I buy through here)

http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/duck_wax.htm (too expensive in my opinion)

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Quote:
Plucking is manageable at 16 weeks. I still use a pining knife, even after waxing. My ducks were too small to process at twelve weeks. What I do is let them free range for the latter part, which reduces the feed cost considerably.

The carcass you see above is from a JM Hatchery muscovy.

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Quote:
Haven't tried. I would either give it to the livestock guardian dog for a meal, or make sausage out of it.

 

[tlb796]

At 16 weeks what do you think the live weights were?
My Muskovies are run of the mill farm type and I'm not sure how
they would compare to those bred specificly for meat.

 

[Salt and Light]

Most importantly, how do they taste? I've only eaten wild duck a couple of times.