meat ducks?

[spamee34]

Has anyone raised pekins for meat? If so what do you do? What do you feed them? Do you put them in a small pen like chickens and feed them free choice ? Any input would be nice . And has anyone used anything other than pekins?

 

[Senna95]

Any ducks can be used for meat production, but the pekins are like the "cronish cross" of the duck world. Large, fast growing, and good feed-to-meat conversion ratio. I have a few pekins I raise for meat. I let them free-range and feed them the same as my other ducks and chickens, including a lot of fruit and vegetable scraps (I go get them at a local produce market). At least they had a better life then the ones from the grocery store.....

 

[exsia]

Hi Spamee,

I've raised both Pekins and muscovies for meat. The pekins dont handle containment as well as the muscovies, but they make it to the butcher block months before the muscovies. I feed them free choice all purpose or flock raiser, grains, table scraps and let them free range. The pekins tend to be more oily (fat) while the muscovies are much leaner with more lean meat.

 

[Country Living Farm]

I raise Pekins as well, and I sell them fast than I can grow them out. They ususally go within a week or two. I have 5 left now with more in the bator hatching so maybe this time, I can try.

 

[bugflipper]

The pekin is easier to butcher out sooner, which means less of a food bill. Compared to chickens, ducks are veracious eater. If you have the ability to allow them free range your billfold will thank you. Mine will wolf down anything imaginable. If you can put a bug zapper where they can get under it they will thank you as well. The little boogers are up all hours of the night waiting for bugs to fall. Same goes for a security light on a pole. Free range after they are turned loose, I only give them cracked corn as feed goes. It is up to them to hustle up their vitamins, minerals and protein,,,,,, which they do well. They are much like hogs and will eat about anything you throw their way. They also love to stay in the vegetable garden. I plant a lot of extra anyway since the deer help themselves.

Generally speaking the rouens I have raised are about the same size they just take longer to get fully mature. I like the pekins because the white is easier for me to pick. They also are plumper than other breeds earlier so they can be butchered before fully mature and have the same carcass as many mature breeds. When he goes in the oven cut slits through the skin on his breast to the fat. The fat will run out as he cooks basting the breast. This makes for a crispy skin and non greasy flesh. The pekins will just lay their eggs wherever. So if one intends to hatch you have to walk around their main area and gather them out of the yard. Unless hatching I just leave the eggs in the yard for the crows to get. If you have a bunch of crows around odds are you will have few hawks and owls.

I have raised them in 30'x30' pens on the ground with full feed rations. The pens are stripped clean of any vegetation and turn into a muddy mess from their dabbling. I raise call ducks, mandarins and wood ducks on wire and they do very well. So you can really do them any way you want, it's just an economic factor with the feed.

 

[spamee34]

ok thank you so much for the input I am glad to know I can do this easily. I have a few ppl wanting to buy them after I raise them what would be a good price for a full grown meat duck I am thinking $15 for 15 or more and $20 for 10 or less what do you all think?

 

[exsia]

sounds good. I sell pekins for $16.00 straight across. Some people complain and some say that it's a good deal. I guess it depends on what kind of customers you have.

 

[Senna95]

Is that live, or dressed.....?

 

[Davaroo]

Whatever happened to the whole Muscovy thing anyway?

 

[Senna95]

Muscovies take longer, but they're good eating and less fatty. Also, quieter.