Getting ready to butcher some ducks.

[allquackedup]

When we butcher our chickens we use a killing cone,bleed out, then scald and hand pluck. When we do our ducks will it be the same method. Wondering about the plucking due to the ducks natural oil on it feathers. Is there a trick to them? Thanks..

 

[dumb_cluck]

You kill your Mallards?

 

[Big Dreamer]

Quote:
Haha, there are many reasons why people have ducks, not just for pets, although i think thats the best way...And in response to your question...i dont know how you do it, but i know for the down you can dip them in wax or something and peel the wax off and it comes out clean? I remember someone saying this on a different thread...

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup, same basic method. But plucking ducks IS more complicated, mostly because they molt more often and it's rare that you won't have pin feathers to deal with. A lot of folks dip them in hot wax to make things easier, or simply skin them. But I don't have personal experience, so I can't tell you what will work best.

You might want to also post this in the meat birds section--a lot of folks on this forum love their ducks like pets (myself included, sometimes) and may respond emotionally to this post. Also, you may find more folks with experience with ducks as meat birds in that forum.

Good luck!

 

[allquackedup]

This will be the first time for us with the ducks. We have processed our chickens as needed.. We have two many drakes in our flock at this time and feed is not cheap.

 

[pringle]

Yeah pretty much,just scald and pluck.I like to dry the wet downy feathers for pillows and stuff becouse there so soft.Ohh yeah you can add a little soap or something to the water and it helps with taking the feathers off.

 

[allquackedup]

Quote:
I didnt mean to offend anyone I am sorry if I did.. I got to looking and found the meatbird section and thought to myself then maybe I had put it into the wrong area. Once again I did not mean to offend any one

 

[dumb_cluck]

No problem.... I just can't imagine butchering any of my "family". They are my "pets".

 

[pringle]

Well some people (me included) raise animals but try not to think of them as "family".I do certainly have poultry that I will never butcher becouse they are like "family" to me.I just think its much better then eating the meat we get from the store becouse I know I gave my animals a great and happy life.

 

[Captain Carrot]

I recently started wearing rubber gloves to pluck my ducks. My thought was that rubber paddles are used in plucking machines, so rubbing my rubber gloved hands over the ducks could remove feathers too.

I find it lots better with the gloves than without. The wings are the hardest, I tend to cut the end wing joint off just to save time. I try to get most of the down off with the rubber gloved hand by moving it firmly and quickly over the skin, then burn the rest off by flaming it with a blow torch. The rinsing them in cold water to remove scorched down.