How tender would a 6 week old duck be ?

[razvanM]

How tender woulda 6 week old duck be ? I am just curios on how tender this meat is because I am planning to buy some pekins that I will slaughter at 6 weeks old,at a 3,1 kg live weight.I have raised muscovy duck before and I still raise them and butcher them at 10-12 weeks old,they are preety tender but how tender would such a young pekin be ?

 

[learycow]

That's really young to butcher a duck.
I would grow the pekins to at least 10-12 weeks. You will have a much larger duck with more meat on it.

 

[razvanM]

they are not tegular pekin ducks,they are a star 53 from grimaud freres that at this age will wrigh 3,1kg live weight,and around 2,5 kg dressed weight,I dont want a duck any larger than this.

 

[bigtrout]

Do some reading on the net about jumbo pekins, you want to butcher @7 weeks not 6 because of how they feather out, @ 7 weeks their first feathers are all in and the next batch has not started yet so no pinfeathers to deal with on the carcass, i believe if u miss the 7 weeks 14 weeks is the next best time, but yes pekins are butcherable at 7 weeks, the jumbos are advertised in the USA as attaining 7 pounds in 7 weeks!