Suffocating Ducks

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In France, Ducks are killed by suffocating them, rather than cutting their throats or ringing their necks. this is dine to keep the blood in the carcass so that the duck is much better tasting when it is roasted.

Does anyone know how this is done exactly> Then after the duck is "mort", what are the nest steps to dress it?

 

[katharinad]

I think that is a myth. I am from Europe and father was a chef who was trained in France. Nobody cooks a duck with its intestines ect in it. So wringing a neck will do the same much faster and less cruel to the duck. For preparations you still have to take out the inerts. After that it is only a question of what recipe you use. And trust me they cook it different in all regions of France. Some of the traditional herbs are actually weeds and you cannot find them here. I know that from experience, and I also remember as a child I had to go out and collect some of them in the field or woods. You may get lucky with some of them at johny select seeds. You basically have to find the plant or seeds from someone who has the weed in their yard and have it shipped to you. These weeds are sometimes very invasive and you don't want them in your yard.

I forgot they do sell ducks with heads on in France. Mainly because people like to prepare meals with their tongues.

 

[FenDruadin]

Is there not a good reason for bleeding them all the way out, the way most people do here in the States? Just wondering--I'm sure they have a good reason for NOT bleeding them--it probably does make them very tender and/or juicy. The French do know a thing or two about good eats.

However, I will say this as well. France is not exactly known for its humane treatment of the animals it eats. It is, after all, the home of foie gras where a goose is painfully force fed several times a day with a pump to cause its internal organs to bloat and its body to become so large and ill that it can't move, all so someone in a fancy restaurant can eat a tiny little delicacy.

And suffocation doesn't sound like the quickest, most painless way of doing the deed. I'm not sure it's something I would try.

Sorry I'm not more help--perhaps someone here will have more insight. However, I do want to suggest that you put something in your title to indicate that you are talking about meat birds here--there are a lot of folks on this board who love their ducks as pets and might prefer not to read a thread about deliberately killing them--so it would be nice to warn them first.

Also, consider posting in the Meat Birds forum as well, as there are probably more experts on slaughtering methods there than here.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Red Maple Farms]

I believe they gas them for animal welfare purposes.

From http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/standards/duck-2010/


14.1 SLAUGHTER
14.1.1 On farm slaughter is recommended and Controlled Atmosphere Killing (CAK), in which ducks remain in their crates and their oxygen is slowly replaced by a mixture of argon and/or nitrogen and carbon dioxide, is the preferred slaughtering methods.

Note: On-farm mobile slaughter and CAK are not readily available. It is the goal of the Animal Welfare Approved program to make these processes more widely available and acceptable for USDA-approved programs.

14.1.2 Not allocated.

14.1.3 CAK and CAS using carbon dioxide for ducks must only be used in a two phase process where birds are initially stunned by a mix of not more than 30% CO2 before moving into higher concentrations of this gas.

Note: Due to the highly aversive effect of CO2 on waterfowl Animal Welfare Approved will keep this standard under review.

14.1.4 When a slaughterhouse using CAK/CAS in a form that includes the use of anoxic gas is available, such a plant must have priority.

 

[FenDruadin]

Aw, thank you for that explanation, Red Maple. That sets my mind at ease--that's actually probably MORE humane than wringing the necks, as they would just go to sleep.

So, I'm still wondering about the bleeding--isn't there a good reason to bleed them out? Or is it just a matter of preference?

 

[secretquail]

I've heard of the carbon dioxide method also. A few years ago, if I remember correctly...there was a posh golf course that was overrun with either scovies or C. Geese. There was an uproar when the public heard that they were to be rounded up and gassed with CO2 to kill them. Not sure what happened to them, but seems like a peaceful way to go. Not sure how it is done though.

 

[FenDruadin]

I don't know about with ducks, but I know with small mammals (I used to keep fancy mice and euthanasia is often discussed as they age), CO2 can be humane or cruel, depending on how it's administered. It's important to get the right dosage to put them into a deep sleep before administering the lethal dose. Otherwise it can be very painful.

I suspect that if they're doing it for humane reasons, then they probably have it down to an art. But in a situation where it's being done en masse just to get rid of overpopulated animals, it could easily be done in a very ugly, inhumane way unless someone is paying attention and holding someone accountable.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the replies.

A very famous french recipe is for Pressed Duck (Canars presse') which involves roasting until rare and then making a sauce from the blood etc that you get by running the carcass through a duck press. Google "pressed duck" and "Tour d'Argent"

Obviously, this involves having a duck with the blood in it. And no, obviously one does not cook it with the "innards" in it--they get removed. Heads and necks stay attached

Hence my question is how exactly do the French do this suffocating? Does anyone have first hand info?? Since the French have been doing this for 500 years, I doubt they use gas.

**Edited for language, flaming and inappropriate content.
If you see something that is against the rules, use the report button and let the staff handle it.**

 

[FenDruadin]

And I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your question. This topic is fascinating to me--the things people eat (some of which is totally gross to me, but then I suppose an American hamburger is pretty gross too)--and I was sincere in wondering whether there is a good reason to bleed the birds. Why are we so careful to bleed them here, if it doesn't affect freshness or something?

Good luck getting your answers.

**edited to get back on topic. Please use the report button and let the staff handle it.**

 

[Red Maple Farms]

tb1, I would repost your question in the Meat Birds section of BYC. Many people who raise ducks for meat and eggs, and have tremendous experience doing such, do not visit this section of the forum.