Does anyone raise ducks for eating?

[Beka123]

Just curious if anyone eats their ducks... I thought about getting 2-3 pekins for this purpose. I don't have a pond, so would they be ok to live to processing weight without one? I have a kiddie pool so I could provide them with some sort of water, but would obviously not be nearly appropriate for an extended period of time. Any thoughts?

 

[JulieNKC]

They'd be ok without a pond. I don't let mine swim until around 8 weeks anyway, when they have all their feathers. I think pekins are ready for processing around 8-10 weeks or so.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just curious if anyone eats their ducks... I thought about getting 2-3 pekins for this purpose. I don't have a pond, so would they be ok to live to processing weight without one? I have a kiddie pool so I could provide them with some sort of water, but would obviously not be nearly appropriate for an extended period of time. Any thoughts?

Most of us haven't beeen blessed with having a pond for our ducks and have to rely on a kiddie pool and I have never had a duck complain even my goose loves the pool.

 

[Beka123]

Oh really? I thought they needed a pond for protection and sleeping... Shows how much I know lol! Can you just house them like chickens at night or where do they sleep? How often do you have to change the water in it?

8-10 weeks for a pekin! I have not been able to find out how old they need to be, nor what weight, for processing yet bc all my searches end up with Peking recipes!

 

[JulieNKC]

Oh really? I thought they needed a pond for protection and sleeping... Shows how much I know lol! Can you just house them like chickens at night or where do they sleep? How often do you have to change the water in it?
8-10 weeks for a pekin! I have not been able to find out how old they need to be, nor what weight, for processing yet bc all my searches end up with Peking recipes!

Lol. Try the meat birds section, they are more helpful with this type thing. Water changes daily at least, they are very messy. Housing is pretty much the same as for chickens, except they need more floor space because they don't roost.

 

[animalsRawesome]

I have also found that Metzer has some good information on his website you might try looking there. I think the butcher date had somthing to do with when their feathers were changing or something like that. If you did it a few weeks too late, it made them ALOT harder to process... I think I read that somewhere LOL

ETA: Miss Lydia is 100% right about them not having to have a pond. A kiddie pool will work just fine.

 

[arherp]

I would suggest Muscovy instead... They are 100 times better than Pekin.