Can you shoot ducks? Or best to cut off head?

[jellybean]

Do any of you shoot your birds when you're ready to process them? If so, do you then hang them to bleed out? I need to process my first ducks, and have read up on it but still not sure of the best way to actually kill them. Meaning, most humane (quick also) and also easiest on me!
Just curious......

 

[Ibicella]

I wouldn't try to shoot a domestic duck. It's a waste of money/bullet, and they could suffer for a few minutes before they finally expire.

The fastest and most humane way is to cut the head off, in my opinion. After that, cervical dislocation.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I don't process my own birds, just to weak, but I do perform mercy killings. I use a pellet gun; I wrap them in a towel talk nice to them and put hte gun right against their head. They are dead instantly and calm right up to the point. IF I were to process my own that's how I would do it.

 

[jaku]

We sometimes shoot turkeys to avoid fighting with them, but it doesn't really help because then they flop around and you also don't get a great bleeding. You can do it with chickens too if you want .

 

[jellybean]

I was asking because I saw a post here somewhere that implied someone shot their ducks, or turkeys or something. I was just wondering. Mine aren't tame really, so I think someone would have to hold them to be sure I'd actually hit them. The idea of chopping off heads bothers me, but I bet if I did it a few times I'd probably get used to it. I do love to eat them, I've just always had someone else process them!

 

[Funky Feathers]

I normally cut their heads off, but I had 4 adult male Muscovies who put up such a fight, I had to resort to shooting them in the head to avoid an exhausting fight (they are really strong) and getting ripped up by their toenails! The first one taught me that lesson, I shot the other 3. Those big Muscovies can wear you out! And they WILL kick your butt.

 

[redhen]

I would chop the head off...

 

[Buster52]

I can't catch my ducks (too easy for them to make it to the pond), so will definitely be shooting them.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My husband used to break their necks for me, but he didn't like it. So if Dad was around, he would do it for me. Once I got my brother to shoot my roos in the head and then I cleaned them. It wasn't so bad; just loud. My current preferred method is to bleed the animal, while hanging upside-down. I no longer request help from men folk. Well except when I became enraged with the tom and decided he needed to die ASAP and called Dad over. He thought the bird was too big for him to break the neck, so he did ask for a gun.....took two shots and he hit it in the head both times. It does seem a waste to use a bullet on a penned in domestic animal.