Anyone doing thanksgiving for your ducks?

[QuackerJackFarms]

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Gurl? You crazy! Lol!! Mine will get ... maybe some leftover sweet potatoes.

 

[iajewel]

All of my ducks except 2 Cayuga and 3 buff egg layers are Muscovy. If Muscovy don't get protein as in bugs, snakes, rodents and yes, raw meat such as deer they will get anemic and die. Good thing I live in Iowa and know about every deer hunter around. Deer season starts about the time the bugs die out. Weekly I get normally a full carcass with the loins and hind end missing. The front end and some meat left on spine etc is enough for the ducks until the next week, or next deer delivery. With out this, I would not have the healthy ducks I do. The bones are then dried and my neighbor burns them in their stove at night. They burn hot and slow so they don't have to get up in the middle of the night, and they don't smell if they are dry. I remove them in the spring by the wheel barrow full. The ducks eat rather well.

As for duck meat, I have never done it, but I know people that save the duck fat to cook potatoes in, or spread on toast like butter. Geese are greasy.. duck fat is known in some of the finest kitchens as a delicacy. I personally don't like fatty meats. I skin my chickens so I don't have it. I do freeze the fat (or skin) for cooking or when a neighbor would like some.
So.. in short, not more fatty then a farm raised chicken. Actually I think my chickens are more fatty. Remember though I have Muscovy and they have a different fat level then common ducks.
I have never eatten a duck that wasn't' a Muscovy drake, however I do plan to try it next fall as I will have some of my Cayuga that I won't keep, as they will be related. I have also heard they aren't like normal ducks either.. so? I don't really know, I may have to buy one and find out?

 

[iajewel]

Here are some pics of the duck that will be blessing our table tomorrow. You can see that there isn't much fat inside the carcass and the skin isn't really that fatty either.




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[animalsRawesome]

I never knew that muscovies needed that much protein. good to know. And I think I might have to try cooking a duck... yours looks pretty tasty!

 

[aoxa]

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How dare you!!!

Canadian here as well, but my ducks don't belong on my dinner table!

I find it silly how we have such different dates for thanksgiving. My chickens got leftovers. If I remember correctly, the stuffing was their favourite.

 

[iajewel]

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They are, and although many don't believe in eating them, they probably don't have as many as some of us. You have to cull males, you just have to. It keeps the flock happy and healthy and if you sell them, someone else will eat them. It took me 20yrs of having ducks before I cleaned my first one, the one pictured is the second one I ever did. I don't like to do it. I do know I have to do it.

That said there is a trick to plucking the darn things and when you get ready send me a note, I will be happy to fill you in on what I have learned about plucking ducks.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Thanks! I'll be sure to do that... hopefully soon. My bff just had a scovie hatch some babies about a month ago, so when they are grown I'll let you know!

 

[newbyduckmom]

Gave mine a plate of peas, rice, and mashed eggs this morning. Their turned their beaks up at it - of course. Darned ducks are really picky!

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

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Mine are too. They will eat nothing but crumbles. They don't even like peas, cracked corn or noodles. My chickens however will eat ANYTHING I give them.

 

[animalsRawesome]

haha my chickens will eat anything that I toss them too. Even if I toss a handfull of rocks on the ground they all come running because they think that I'm giving them treats.

However, my ducks won't eat anything!!!