Best way to fatten a duck for harvest

[Titantherooster]

Hi all, I’ve got four Saxony drakes I plan to harvest in the next couple of weeks. Currently they free range with the rest of the flock and are eating the same thing as my newly laying chickens. They are about 8 weeks right now and hoping to get them fatter and wondered the best way to ensure good meat quality and that it won’t be too tender/dry. Any thoughts on others experience?

 

[ibarbidahl]

Hmmm... Well you are asking 2 different things here. If you want more meat/muscle you need to add protein. If you want more fat/moisture you'll add calories..ie corn.
Either way you'll want to keep them penned in a smaller enclosure - no free ranging.
Try meat bird crumbles or game birdboth high protein.

 

[neo71665]

Confine them and feed them corn. Changing them over to a meat bird feed this late in the game and close to harvest is gonna have little to no effect.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

making ducks stay in a small area and making them gain weight (it’s hard on their legs) doesn’t sound very nice

 

[416bigbore]

Hmmm... Well you are asking 2 different things here. If you want more meat/muscle you need to add protein. If you want more fat/moisture you'll add calories..ie corn.
Either way you'll want to keep them penned in a smaller enclosure - no free ranging.
Try meat bird crumbles or game birdboth high protein.

Sad but true !

 

[JacinLarkwell]

making ducks stay in a small area and making them gain weight (it’s hard on their legs) doesn’t sound very nice

They're not staying very much longer. They're being used for meat. Not much different than Cornish X birds

 

[neo71665]

making ducks stay in a small area and making them gain weight (it’s hard on their legs) doesn’t sound very nice

Killing them aint either but it happens

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

They're not staying very much longer. They're being used for meat. Not much different than Cornish X birds

since your gonna kill them anyways, make them as happy as possible while you have them. free ranging, hanging out with their flock. why not rehome them instead?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Because their delicious

 

[neo71665]

since your gonna kill them anyways, make them as happy as possible while you have them. free ranging, hanging out with their flock. why not rehome them instead?

Meat birds are not pets