Kill cone for large muscovy ducks

[blorbs]

Hi,

We've been processing our grown muscovy ducks, and my current method is not very efficient. I would like to make a cone for my ducks, as the ones I've seen are too small (I've killed turkeys and chickens with the cone before and had it work great, but the ducks we have are just too large and can escape essentially). Does anyone successfully and efficiently kill large ducks or geese with a cone, and if so, could you share the dimensions?
Or, should I try again with a small cone and really hold their head down until they sink into it? They fight me quite firmly and they are really strong (and large! 15 lbs at least).

Thank for any advice regarding dispatching larger ducks efficiently!

 

[FunClucks]

Have you seen the picture on here of using the Tidy Cats cat litter jug as a kill cone? It's great for doing 12+ lbs CX, which are almost the size of the ducks/geese you're talking about here. SO you might try something like that. I'll link a picture of the container. You cut the bottom off, hang it upside down on a tree, and the head goes out the opening. Also, if you use masking tape, zip ties, or wire to tie the feet together before you put them in, it helps prevent escape.

I wrap the birds tight in a bath towel, hold them on top of my left leg, and with my left arm, and use a knife over a 5 gallon bucket that sits between my legs when I sit in a folding chair. You have to control the head with your left hand while you use the knife in your right (or vice versa), but wrapping them in the bath towel takes care of containing the feet and wings.

 

[blorbs]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I currently do similar to what you do, but without the wrapping (I sort of hold them with my knees, it's hard to describe). Do you think the cone makes a big difference to the speed with which they bleed out, or keeping them calm? I'll try with a large jug if I'm feeling brave.

 

[Molpet]

Have you seen the picture on here of using the Tidy Cats cat litter jug as a kill cone?

 

[iwltfum]

I tried using a cone for the first two I did. They are such fighters and their wings are incredibly strong...mine would roost on the peak of my two story house regularly. I tried tying their feet and hanging them for the kill cut, but it was too chaotic. We eventually just landed on chopping their heads off with a hatchet on a chopping block - carefully! They would toss about for a bit and then we would come back to collect them. Believe me, that is not how I thought we would be doing it and I wouldn't feel good about doing it that way with broilers personally. But it was the only way we could figure to get it done while keeping our sanity. They are a totally different beast than broilers.

Edit to add: worth every bite though! Roasted duck on steamed bao buns!? Don't tell you're neighbors unless you're ready for company!

 

[FunClucks]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I currently do similar to what you do, but without the wrapping (I sort of hold them with my knees, it's hard to describe). Do you think the cone makes a big difference to the speed with which they bleed out, or keeping them calm? I'll try with a large jug if I'm feeling brave.

Personally, I don't think the jug or kill cone would make a difference on the speed at which they bleed out. That is due more to how large of a cut you've made in the veins and waiting for the heart to stop pumping out the blood. For chickens, it's very quick either way.

The towel keeps all the limbs contained. When they can't move, they seem calmer, but who knows what goes on in the mind of a chicken?

Note: I have done a wide variety of chickens, including some that were quite large and strong, but no actual ducks. So there is that.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I use an old traffic cone. I cut an opening at the tip then nailed it upside down to a post.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

Hi,

We've been processing our grown muscovy ducks, and my current method is not very efficient. I would like to make a cone for my ducks, as the ones I've seen are too small (I've killed turkeys and chickens with the cone before and had it work great, but the ducks we have are just too large and can escape essentially). Does anyone successfully and efficiently kill large ducks or geese with a cone, and if so, could you share the dimensions?
Or, should I try again with a small cone and really hold their head down until they sink into it? They fight me quite firmly and they are really strong (and large! 15 lbs at least).

Thank for any advice regarding dispatching larger ducks efficiently!

Blorbs,
Have tried the broom stick method?