Processing Muscovy ducks

[sandspoultry]

We just processed a couple Muscovy drakes this morning, the breasts weighed from 12 to 16 oz. ea. Can't wait until the age, yummy.

Steve in NC

 

[apbgv]

Looks yummy I've heard their meat is more like steak. Won't have any until next year for eatin, I just have my 3 babies now and I am not eating them. I will eat their babies.

 

[Dodgegal79]

Those look like they will be good. I had a bunch done and had them done up whole, wish I had them cut up. Their meat is like beef, but has a lighter taste. I roasted one and it was like really good potroast.

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
We cut them up to save freezer space. The leg 1/4s get deboned and saved for duck sausage.

Steve in NC

 

[Dodgegal79]

Yum, thats giving me ideas now. lol

 

[SandraMort]

Oooh, where can I find 'scovy recipes?

 

[HaleMoa]

Those look amazing! What age were your drakes?? I hope I can get me some of those someday...

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
They were about 6 to 7 months old. We really like the Muscovies for alot of reasons, the meat is great, they aren't as messy as other ducks, to say they are prolific is an understatement. I have always told told people a Muscovy hen can sit on 20 eggs and hatch 22 ducklings.

.

We let them sit and hatch about 3 times a year. The last couple years they have totaly paid for their keep thru egg and duck sales. That's not counting the meat we get from them at all, we just figure feed used vs direct sales. If you were to figure the meat in they would really be making money.

Steve in NC

 

[SandraMort]

I feel like SUCH a hopeless newbie. Let me try and explain my area of confusion.

A bird will lay a fertile egg if she's being covered by a male, regardless of whether she is planning to go broody.

If you collect the eggs for eating, they won't hatch.

If you don't collect the eggs & the bird doesn't go broody, they rot.

If the bird goes broody, she stops laying eggs.

There's no way to predict when she's going to go broody.

Sooooo, how do you "let them sit and hatch" clutches of eggs?

Quote:

 

[SandraMort]

Then there's the whole math of it...

I have a breeding pair. Say she lays a nest of eggs in the spring, conservatively let's call it 10 eggs. Out of those, we get half male, who get processed before sexual maturity. Then in the fall, we get six females, each laying 10 eggs, for a total of 60 ducklings? 30 males and OMG what am I going to DO with 30 females? Or do I just process everybody in generation 2 except for as many as I have room for and keep to a strictly limited number of females and the original male?