First Time Duck Processing

[lead_dog]

We're raising Pekin ducks in the winter in our pastured poultry operation instead of broilers. We have our first 30 (small batch) that will need processing soon. They will be 7 weeks old on Monday. Someone who raised them told me that it is very important to process them between the 7th and 8th week before additional feathers come in (?). As I'm new to ducks, I don't know.

We have a featherman gamebird plucker with 250 or so fingers and a featherman scalder.

My questions are:

- is there a specific age that is ideal to process them
- what should the scald temperature be
- what should the scald duration be

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Tim
www.naturesharmonyfarm.com

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Temp should be about 150 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes.

For the pekins the window between pin feathers is 7, 12.5 and 18 weeks of age.

Hope this helps &

 

[greyfields]

The weeks seem right as posted above. Hope you're enjoying the ducks. I find them far easier to raise than our broilers.

I like my ducks to be roasters, so I don't raise them in quick successive crops at 8 weeks apart like some do chickens. I hatch my own in the winter/spring, then process in June and September. My processor surely hates me, since all the ducks are different ages in any batch, making their life hell.

 

[lead_dog]

I'm unclear on the window for pin feathers. For example, it says week 7. Does that mean for one week between 7 and 8, or how long? Just not sure how precise it is...they'll be 7 weeks on Monday.

 

[jvls1942]

you lost me on the window of time also..

 

[Brunty_Farms]

It's probably for the whole week. Look at your ducks and see if you can notice any small pin feathers. If you do.... let them grow out a little bit and then process.

I've found dawn to work good on ducks and geese. It breaks down the oil used to keep the water from penatrating the feathers. I just put a drop on them and rub the soap in the feathers using a hose.... after I have broken down the oil I dunk in the scalder.

I saw your interview on your site.... great site by the way.... and watched the turkey's being processed. I do 100 turkey's each thanksgiving and hand pluck them.... what a bear. That video doesn't do the job enough justice on just how tough it is to endure. After three days of 150 turkey's I'm sure you guys were exhausted... I know I was and I have just 100.

Good luck with your farm.