Ducks butcher date around the corner

[Zealo]

So the Pekin ducks are going to be 8 weeks old tomorrow and I'll admit, I'm going to miss the stinky buggers. The thought of not having them out back will seem odd.. Only because I wont have to keep care of them anymore... Still just plain odd

I'm going to keep them alive for just a few more days, mostly because I still have a little bit of food...
But seeing as its so close, I'd like some advise or maybe some stories about your ducks.
Learning some new things never hurts :3


My Drake after a warm bath.
His gotten pretty big since when I first got him
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/reapers0blood/100_0527_zpsgd0abghd.jpg

 

[rick54]

Well I don't really have any duck stories for you, but I am interested in raising some meat ducks in the near future. So I would be interested in hearing your duck processing story. How did it go? What equipment is involved? Did you have to use duck wax?

Your story should give me a pretty good insight as to what I'm in for when I go through the same process.

Thank you

 

[LadyIsadora]

So the Pekin ducks are going to be 8 weeks old tomorrow and I'll admit, I'm going to miss the stinky buggers. The thought of not having them out back will seem odd.. Only because I wont have to keep care of them anymore... Still just plain odd

I'm going to keep them alive for just a few more days, mostly because I still have a little bit of food...
But seeing as its so close, I'd like some advise or maybe some stories about your ducks.
Learning some new things never hurts :3


My Drake after a warm bath.
His gotten pretty big since when I first got him
http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy66/reapers0blood/100_0527_zpsgd0abghd.jpg

Let me start off by saying I'm new to ducks as well. if you care to read the whole story, I wrote a novella when I joined the group here. Funny Stuff. But to make a long story short. I had two "practice Pekin ducks" that reached 8 weeks So we decided to send the Mr. to freezer camp. I also sent 3 other adult ducks that belonged to a friend, the same day.

I learned some stuff, and Mr. Pekin certainly got the last laugh on me.

I did a fair amount of research and you-tube video watching prior to embarking upon this endeavor. ( I strongly doing A LOT of research. from different sources) One of the things I have read about was the scheduled dates upon which you should do the deed, specifically with Pekins, but I would guess the information translates to all ducks. 7 weeks; 12.5 weeks and 18 weeks I believe was the advice I wrote down. Most other sources said 8 weeks. 8 weeks worked for my schedule.
The reason for the dates is because they grow in their feathers at certain intervals, you want to find the right time so there are little or no pin feathers to pull. I did not grasp the importance of this advice. Also I had no real way of knowing the exact hatch date of Mr. Pekin. I got him from IFA sometime within a week or so of his having hatched. Little did I know that is not close enough to determine an exact date of execution.

Those new feathers are no joke! Im not saying I was very quick with the other adult birds, I wasn't. It is after all applying a newly learned skill. But Mr. Pekin was the last to go of the 4 that day. You would have thought I would have gotten quicker about it.
It took a couple of hours for me and my Dear husband Just to pull out all of those "pins" with our matching leatherman multi tools. (we work so well together)

Im searching my phone for pics. I had to take them because this totally amazed me. BRB

 

[LadyIsadora]

 

[caesargirl]

I've butchered a few myself. Bout 100! Easiest for me: behead, drain, gut,into hot water155° ish (2 minutes ish)pluck feathers... 20 minutes per duck.

 

[LadyIsadora]

Thats about what I did too ceasargirl. I did try dry plucking first. It was not too bad but the water dip was much better (remember to SIMMER not BOIL) It make plucking the feathers much easier.
I did find some stuff on the internet about using a paraffin wax dip that looked very interesting, There are a few videos out there on u-tube if you want to look it up. I was trying to save the down for making pillows so I did not go that route. It looked like a ton less mess and effective at cleaning the carcass, but I have no experience.

 

[caesargirl]

I have one opinion on waxing, been there done that, and now...only my freakin eyebrows! Holy hot mess!

 

[LadyIsadora]

I have one opinion on waxing, been there done that, and now...only my freakin eyebrows! Holy hot mess!

REALLY?
Those dang U-Tube vids make everything look so easy! How rude

I wish I would have had some handy to try when Mr. Pekin took his final swim, maybe it would have bonded to those pins and saved me a few hours pulling. I really cannot emphasize what a mess that was. He got dunked twice during that fiasco to help loosen up the flesh.

Can you be more specific on exactly what was the cause/ effect of the mess in your experience of this holy hot mess? or is it jsut the lingering impression left of the nightmareish experience?

I tried wax on the eyebrows...(and a few other choice places) ...Nope nope nope never again. I would rather shave everyday thanks.

 

[caesargirl]

Perhaps having only waxed a duck once, I'll go with inexperience! And, like for us, I don't think the wax was hot enough. I didn't get the wax to adhere the way it was " supposed " to. I've seen it done on chickens and it seemed to work better. Maybe the ducks oil interfered..... I still find 2 minutes in simmering water works best for me. Maybe I'll try shaving them instead!!!!!

 

[LadyIsadora]

Ill bet the oil does play a part. I dont remembering that being addressed in any of the Vid's