Butchering Day Blues. :(

[MysticalMom]

Just a five more short weeks, they'll be 15 weeks old, and Snakeman will be butchering our first baby muscovies. I know I agreed at this start of all this to just keep my original girls and my 1 drake and let them set every now and then, so he could put some in the freezer. I did. And when they hatched I thought, "Well I will just take on the farm girl attitude, not get attached and let him do this thing when the time comes." Well now I don't want tooooooooooooooooooooo.

I know I have to. We don't have the room in the pen/house for a bunch more muscovies and they were raised for meat and I knew it. But it's soooooooooooooo hard!!!! She only hatched 6. One got squished during the hatch, so we have 2 drakes ( a beautiful big barred boy and an all white boy with a black top of his head and blue eyes) and 3 hens. 2 pied and 1 barred.

I am such an animal lover. This is my first experience with butchering something I've raised. Even Snakeman says it's hard for him too, but has to be done. He has experience with it all, having helped his grandparents every year do their butchering. But I don't and I'm sad.

He knows I'm outta here on B day. I'll go shopping and spend some of his money and come back when the deed is done. That'll show him.

That is all. Just wanted to rant a little.

 

[txcarl1258]

I too am going to breed muscovies for meat. I am going to get the chocolate ones so hopefully they all look the same so I won't get any different colors that I will be attempted to keep. Hopefully this unpleasant task will become easier for you over time.

 

[duckluck]

Better you than me...I have a hard enough time just selling any of my babies! I can't even imagine having to butcher them!

At the Belvidere show I was prepping my guys before the judging and I had some guy come up to ask me which kind of duck tasted best and I told him I have no idea...he asked me "Well, you breed them, don't you?" I said "I only breed Calls and I have never eaten duck in my life!" He looked at me like I'd grown two heads! Then he wondered what Calls are for and I had to explain to him that they are usually show animals or pets., and mine are both.

Nope, I don't envy you the task ahead of you!

 

[javajanie]

I wouldn't be able to stick around for that either! All my ducks are pets (I only have 4), but I will order duck if it's on the menu! What are your plans for the pekins?

BTW, The Crossing At Casey Jones in La Plata used to have an excellent espresso crusted duck on the menu.

We went once upon a time for an anniversary.

 

[MysticalMom]

The pekins?? Or the others? Well, the 20 adult ducks and muscovy I have now... and the metzer runners and geese I'm getting in the spring, are here to stay. They're my babies and he understands that, but I agreed to let him have SOME of their babies for the freezer. I let Lucille (the current muscovy momma) set over the summer because he specifically wanted muscovy meat and I agreed to it. I'm not letting anymore set right now. I collect their eggs right now and we just eat them or sell them etc. But WHEN I let them set in the spring and summer again, he will get some of the babies I'm sure. It just depends. I do have some breeding projects in mind. Lots of people want Appleyard eggs and ducklings in the spring and summer etc. I really don't expect any pekin babies. If I decide to let one keep her eggs and she gets it right ( which with a pekin is a toss up)... I'm sure I'll find homes for some and he'll put some in the freezer.

Being a farm girl is hard sometimes when you're an animal lover.

 

[pookiegoldman]

I've got my own butchering day coming up soon. Quail. That still bothers me everytime I do it, but I don't get attached at all to the quail. That's what we breed them for, but it still isn't any easier taking a life. I've got a few extra roosters that I can't bring myself to do the deed to...maybe I'll try to relocate them

 

[axxell33]

I too am raising Muscovy for meat. Mine are only ducklings though, so it will be into next summer before I have to start thinking about this. However, I do have a young roo that was supposed to be a hen. I have been trying for a while to find him a home, but no such luck yet. My neighbors have complained soo much that I think tonight we will be having fresh grilled chicken. It's hard to do, but atleast I know he was fed and cared for correctly and was butchered in a much more humane way than those chicken nuggets from fast food restaurants.

 

[allanimals21]

I won't butcher mine...I keep getting told we should but I can't. I've got 28 muscovies and 3 mallards right now. 28 is alot of ducks. lol

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

We are starting to get to the point with Pekings- boy do they grow fast! I, who was all for this in the beginning, am now having second thoughts. I am enjoying the ducks- good news is that in the Pekin's I think there are mostly females, sad news is that in the Mallards there are a LOT of males. We will be having an ongoing discussion as I know it has to be done it's just I don't think I can do it.

I am the one feeding them every day and taking care of them.

Good Luck-

Michelle

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
That's the thing, while I am dreading B day, I can't wait to try some recipes I've collected. Argh! I feel so guilty.

I forget you're here in Southern Maryland too! I will have to put The Crossing on my list. Maybe the chef will share his recipe!