The khaki-Campbell duck Thread !!!!!!!!

[OldMissionChick]

my 2 day old khaki's. Lou and dotty

They are so cute! I have 36 eggs I am about to put in the incubator. So fingers crossed one will be a KC cross

 

[laurita1510]

I hope so! I have a feeling one of mine might have a tiny bit of Aylesbury in it too. They had their first water play today and loved it!

 

[Carcajou]

my 2 day old khaki's. Lou and dotty

 

[Abesinger]

 

[Carcajou]

 

[AA Maple]

So for anyone considering Khaki Campbell for meat, I was rather underwhelmed with mine. As I mentioned they dressed out to only about 2.5 each (at 3-4 months) and needless to say it took them a LOT of feed to get there. I probably could have processed a couple weeks sooner, but not knowing my arse from my elbow for sexing I didn't want to accidentally cull a female and waited for the curly feather to appear on everyone. The meat was quite tough though and very lean. Heart and liver were delicious, but the rest was a chore to eat, though I ate it out of respect for the little guys.

We cooked them in a smoker at 225 for about 4 and a half hours. In the same time 5-6 pound chickens and a small turkey breast (store bought) were cooked super tender so I'd wager that no amount of slow cooking beyond boiling into soup would have made these fellas more edible.

I'm not sure if culling earlier would help or if factory raised ducks are just tender from being different breeds or living their whole life in a cage the size of a bread-box? In any event, I'd like to have 6 for laying and as a buffer so that if I lose one to sickness or predator the others will still have some buddies. I'm on the fence on whether to try to hatch (or buy) some straight run and cull drakes again, or if I should just try to find some sorted females to pad out the flock next spring.

In conclusion, if you must cull your flock from extra males, it's do-able and you can eat them, but don't invite company for a special meal. If you eat them you'll be doing it just for the sake of being polite to your ducks.

 

[wannahomestead]

So for anyone considering Khaki Campbell for meat, I was rather underwhelmed with mine. As I mentioned they dressed out to only about 2.5 each (at 3-4 months) and needless to say it took them a LOT of feed to get there. I probably could have processed a couple weeks sooner, but not knowing my arse from my elbow for sexing I didn't want to accidentally cull a female and waited for the curly feather to appear on everyone. The meat was quite tough though and very lean. Heart and liver were delicious, but the rest was a chore to eat, though I ate it out of respect for the little guys.

We cooked them in a smoker at 225 for about 4 and a half hours. In the same time 5-6 pound chickens and a small turkey breast (store bought) were cooked super tender so I'd wager that no amount of slow cooking beyond boiling into soup would have made these fellas more edible.

I'm not sure if culling earlier would help or if factory raised ducks are just tender from being different breeds or living their whole life in a cage the size of a bread-box? In any event, I'd like to have 6 for laying and as a buffer so that if I lose one to sickness or predator the others will still have some buddies. I'm on the fence on whether to try to hatch (or buy) some straight run and cull drakes again, or if I should just try to find some sorted females to pad out the flock next spring.

In conclusion, if you must cull your flock from extra males, it's do-able and you can eat them, but don't invite company for a special meal. If you eat them you'll be doing it just for the sake of being polite to your ducks.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have 2 drakes I will need to thin out soon. I'm hoping to sell them, but if I have no interest, they'll likely have to go to freezer camp

 

[AA Maple]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have 2 drakes I will need to thin out soon. I'm hoping to sell them, but if I have no interest, they'll likely have to go to freezer camp

Get a sharp axe and I'd suggest sooner rather than later as I suspect the meat might have been a bit more palatable when they were younger. It's not fun, but you can do it. These were my first birds processed.

 

[Bert2368]

I culled one of our year old drakes this Spring, after I had collected about 40 eggs from the 7 ducks accompanying these 2 drakes for incubation.

Have not eaten the drake yet- But agree, not much meat was found under those feathers!

We got Cayugas and blue swede ducklings from Murray McMurray this March, will cull the excess drakes after the first hard frost. Hope they are more "meaty"! They'll be about 6 months old then, a few of the ducks they came with (or the khaki ducks we hatched in May) are just now starting to lay.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

hey guys if I want to do the duck thing I am going to have to learn to process the ducks. I need information on this I want to do it the quickest way for the ducks. if I could fine someone to do the deed I could do the rest. I had to kill mice to feed 2 baby owls I had to put a paper towel over there head and hit them with a hammer the same thing with the chickens that my mule step on. I have two drakes KC drakes but I am attached to them I named them pipin and merri. the say if you are going to eat them don't name them. They were my first ducks they are over 1 year old. Has any body tried keep there males together like a bachelor pad?