Calls and Cayugas 2021

[Duckiiess]

Here's the supper flock Ralphie. View attachment 2815422

What age are you going to process the cayugas? Have you done them before?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

What age are you going to process the cayugas? Have you done them before?

This will be my first time proccessing a Cayuga.
We plan on doing the drakes this weekend. They are about 12 weeks old.
It might be a little bit early... But they are eating me out of house and home and I don't have an adequate solution for when all those Drakes become hormonal.

 

[Duckiiess]

I was planning on doing my cayugas at 12 weeks, but didn't think they were big enough then... they're 16 now and going to do a couple this week. Let me know how yours turn out please, good luck!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I was planning on doing my cayugas at 12 weeks, but didn't think they were big enough then... they're 16 now and going to do a couple this week. Let me know how yours turn out please, good luck!

Will do.
We got a couple kill cones made. Tomorrow is DMD. (duck murdering day)

According to what I've read I think we're right on time.
They look just as big as the rest of my ducks now. So I don't think size is anything to wait for. The main thing is if you are going to be plucking them you want to do it when they don't have a bunch of pin feathers.

https://bramblewoodhill.com/raising-ducks-for-meat/

 

[shawluvsbirds]

It is a good thing I proof read that last post. My phone did not understand me correctly when I said plucking.

 

[duluthralphie]

It is a good thing I proof read that last post. My phone did not understand me correctly when I said plucking.

Are you sure you said “plucking”?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Are you sure you said “plucking”?

View attachment 2822565

 

[duluthralphie]

 

[Duckiiess]

Welp, I weighed a couple birds this morning and they haven't gained any weight in the past couple weeks, most are just over 5 lbs , guess all their energy was going to the molt. Will be butchering before the molt next time, at 12-13 weeks. Gonna let these birds go for another couple weeks on a high fat (black oil sunflower seeds added to the food) diet to hopefully pack on some lbs.

Live & learn

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Welp, I weighed a couple birds this morning and they haven't gained any weight in the past couple weeks, most are just over 5 lbs , guess all their energy was going to the molt. Will be butchering before the molt next time, at 12-13 weeks. Gonna let these birds go for another couple weeks on a high fat (black oil sunflower seeds added to the food) diet to hopefully pack on some lbs.

Live & learn

Well, as you'll see here we give up on plucking them real quick.
There were still too many pin feathers that you had to pick out with your fingernail.
After scalding in the hot soapy water, most the feathers did come out easily, just not those.
I don't know if maybe another week would have helped?
You know they don't all hatch at the same time so you don't know exactly how old each and every one is.
Anyway, still a good harvest I think.
We actually only did five instead of six I found out I had one more female than I thought I did.