Plucking ducks for down?

[pringle]

Hi.In the spring I plan on breeding a muscovy male with my pekin and maybe mallards.I know the babies will be sterile but once they get up to the age to be butchered around 10-12 weeks I think would it be worth it to dry pluch the feathers and down from the underside?These are going to be big birds so I would think thered be alot of down.Is it worth it?

 

[Hozer]

I can't tell you how big your ducks will be, but I dry plucked a couple Swedish Blues a couple months ago and I figured out how to do it on the second one. The first one I kinda just pulled the feathers out. On the second one I fiured out to first pluck all the hard feathers, then you are left with what kinda looks like a penguin with all down. Then you can pull and collect all the down. I'm sure all you old timers know this already. Trying to pull all the feathers out at once is difficult and can tear the skin. My Eskimo neighbor says this is how they do it. He told me he got in trouble because his wife wanted the down and he forgot to ask me.

 

[jrsqlc]

i was wondering how to get the down off the skin after the duck has been skinned?
i thought it was so soft it would make a great pillow, or something.
I skinned my pekins on sunday and the skin and fur still sttached has been sitting outside in the cold (about 30 or colder) since, is it even worth it anymore?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

If you willing to pull it off the skin......go for it. I find I need about 10 to 15 ducks to make a lightly stuffed pillow. My godfather skins his also, but I love duck skin roasted with my duck meat. Besides I save the feathers too.