Processing ducks. New to poultry

[Pis7ftw]

Hey all. New to poultry. We have 4 ducks we want to process. For the down and pin feathers, will just plain paraffin wax I can get off amazon do the trick or do I need some sort of specialty duck wax?

Thanks

 

[MysteryChicken]

I don't use wax. I know alot of people do, but I just rub the majority of the down feathers off, then singe the fines, along with hair feathers with a torch.

Pin feathers I just pull with a combination of my fingers, & pliers.

 

[Berd Man]

Hey all. New to poultry. We have 4 ducks we want to process. For the down and pin feathers, will just plain paraffin wax I can get off amazon do the trick or do I need some sort of specialty duck wax?

Thanks

The “duck wax” that is used for poultry is not typically plain parrafin. Parrafin will not “stick” to the birds well. I think it’s a proprietary blend of a certain portion of parrafin and a portion of microcrystalline waxes. You could probably source both types of wax and try and blend yourself. I’ve used duck wax before on geese with some success. I quit using it because straining / recycling the used wax with blood and debris in it seemed gross and I am too cheap to pay the crooks commercially selling poultry wax haha.

A longer scald at slightly higher temps with agitation will help you get the waterfowl cleaner easier.