Duck meat???

[justusnak]

I had a question posted to me, by my father in law...I need help with. Here is what he wrote....


I read today that chicken breasts are white meat, but duck breasts are red meat.
Reason: Ducks fly more often than chickens and their breasts need more oxygen and stronger muscles.
Well Chicken Lady is that true or not?
I need the "correct" answer....my father in law is....well...very intelligent, and " demands" correct answers. If ya know what I mean.??

Anyone!?? help?? I dont eat duck!!

 

[seedcorn]

The ducks you buy in a supermarket today are less than 40 days old. The breeds of ducks used fly no more than your average chicken does. In fact, the breeds they use, are so large that they can't fly at all.

Why ducks are dark meat, anyone's guess, it's just the way it is.

 

[texaschickmama]

Sorry, Deb, I don't know the "correct" answer either, but you cracked me up when I read your post that your DFIL demands the "correct" answer.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Well all I know is that there is no white meat on wild ducks it is all dark( or red). It very well may be the same on production ducks. Hope that is of some help.

Randy

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Wild ducks are brown (red) meat with very little fat since they are a migratory bird and eat a wonderful natural diet. All the production ducks I have had were a brown meat.

 

[TransplantedTexan]

Just tell him that's the way God made it.

 

[silkiechicken]

Ok, so the reason "red meat" is "red" is because it caries an increased amount of myoglobin compared to white meat. This increased myoglobin is what carries oxygen when the muscles are in use. (Greater capacity to carry on aerobic metabolism.) The reason water fowl breast meat is red is because they have to do long sustained flights unlike our more ground based fowl. Coming with the increased myoglobin will be more fat because fat is what energy is stored as.

If you want to learn more about muscles, look up "fast twitch" (white) and "slow twitch" (red) muscles. They differ in composition and fiber types (Type 1, Type II, type IIa and so on).

Oh yeah, it's red and turns brown because myoglobin contains iron, which oxidizes after you cook it and denature all the proteins.

 

[justusnak]

Silkiechicken...thats EXACTLY the answer I needed for him!! Thanks! Now, I am going to copy and paste your answer in an E mail to him.

Thanks again!!

 

[picklespickles]

wow. i am both grossed out and amazed by the answer. i will read again when i'm not eating breakfast. lol.

 

[silkiechicken]

No problem, there is a lot more depth to it really, but you can look that stuff up.