Truth or Myth about ducks??

[Jekajo80]

Ducks are a lot hardier than a chicken. No, I don't think the meat is fatty or greasy. I really like it! And the eggs are good for baking. As for breeds, I can't give much advice because I have Rouens. They are nice, but the hen really likes to wander. Just do some research- all depends on the size of the yard and housing, and whether you want meat, eggs, or a dual purpose bird. But they will messy with water, that's for sure. And yes, I notice my 3 put holes into the ground with their bills too! I thought they were drilling for bugs

 

[Richb353]

Welcome,
As far as which duck breeds, check out the duck comparison charts at the Metzer Farms and Livestock Conservancy websites. Also, the Fresh Eggs Daily website has a tremendous amount of information on both Ducks and Chickens.

In my humble opinion, Cayugas and Welsh Harlequin!


Two of the more calmer and quieter breeds of duck!
Enjoy,
Rich

 

[BlessedCountry6]

Welcome,
As far as which duck breeds, check out the duck comparison charts at the Metzer Farms and Livestock Conservancy websites. Also, the Fresh Eggs Daily website has a tremendous amount of information on both Ducks and Chickens.

In my humble opinion, Cayugas and Welsh Harlequin!


Two of the more calmer and quieter breeds of duck!
Enjoy,
Rich

Thank you so much for the info. I am looking for calm breeds because I have 4 kids. Very beautiful ducks!

 

[Duck Drover]

The shell of duck eggs is perhaps "oily" because the shell is smooth and not porous like chicken eggs. I have ducks that lay green eggs and chickens that lay green eggs but the duck eggs have a smooth glossy surface that makes them easy to tell the difference. They are easy to see into when candling, unlike chicken eggs. The duck eggs make the best brownies! I am not sure what it is about duck eggs but they are so much better than chicken eggs when baking.

I used to raise alot of Muscovys and the meat was more oily, like dark chicken meat. I found it was easier to skin the ducks instead of plucking them and then I used a roaster to keep the meat moist during cooking. I liked it fine but I preferred to sell my meat drakes rather than butcher them. I can certainly eat meat that I raise but I have to stay detached and that is hard for me when I get attached to things I raise.

Ducks can be messy so give up on the idea of keeping them dry. Let them have access to water that drains well. Shavings soak up water and they stink when they are wet so I would never use them for ducks. Mine have free range in my yard and they don't make a mess. I have muddy areas from my own landscaping projects and the ducks will come running when I "make mud" (as a way of leveling high spots and filling in low spots) but they don't really make mud other than splashing their water and allowing it to come in contact with dirt. When it stops raining, the bare areas where I covered the grass become dust baths for the chickens so I have to water those areas until the grass that I covered with dirt grows through. The chickens are by far the ones that do the most damage to the yard by digging holes for their dust baths. The ducks get a pool of water and they love getting wet! In my opinion the ducks are far cleaner than the chickens.

 

[eggsellentfarms]

Quote:
In my experience, the meat drying out, while potentially a problem, is not as much trouble as the meat being tough. But, cooking slow and low like you mentioned is usually a remedy for both problems. I've actually made the jerky two ways, in a food dehydrator, and in a propane smoker. I liked the smoker method the best. As for the fajitas, I cooked the duck for as little time as possible to keep it from getting tough. And actually, the toughness is probably related more to the way I raise the ducks. I let them free range as soon as possible and don't feed them as heavily so they take longer to reach butchering weight. If you keep them penned and put more feed in front of them, you can butcher them younger and the meat will likely be much more tender, but if I do that I figure I might as well just buy it at the grocery store.