What age to butcher Muscovy ducks?

[hookem horns]

So I am wondering then what to do with drakes that you have had for a couple of years or year in your breeding program? Are they going to taste awful? What can be done with them? Are restaurants then only buying ducks that are several months old? Thanks for any help. I have personally never ate duck but have raised Muscovies for 10 years for others to enjoy and have sold them as day old ducklings up to 1-3  year old hens and drakes. Thanks for any help.

I know this is an old post but we slaughter drakes and hens at all ages and love the taste of older ducks just as much as 4 month olds...

 

[gracie7773]

I know this is an old post but we slaughter drakes and hens at all ages and love the taste of older ducks just as much as 4 month olds...

Are they very strong flavored? We're raising a few this year for the first time and I'm not sure when to butcher etc. They're only a few weeks old now. I'd like to keep them as slug-eaters through the summer though

 

[neilmcginnis]

is this product in any way organic?

 

[Kathy farms]

is this product in any way organic?

If you raised them yourself, then I guess you'll know the source of the feed, and other things to consider them organic or inorganic.

By the way, what would you consider organic in relation to ducks?

 

[neilmcginnis]

Sorry i really meant to ask if that person if the duck wax contained any synthetic chemicals, rather than to ask if it's technically organic. I try to avoid petroleum based products for my animals as well as for my family. I am a big supporter of organically raised animals meaning no pesticides or insecticides in their foods or grass but since i just started raising ducks i can see how hard it is to maintain those standards and i can see why it costs more for properly raised animals. The irony is that my own animals are not being raised to the standard that i hold my local farmers to.

 

[Kathy farms]

Sorry i really meant to ask if that person if the duck wax contained any synthetic chemicals, rather than to ask if it's technically organic. I try to avoid petroleum based products for my animals as well as for my family. I am a big supporter of organically raised animals meaning no pesticides or insecticides in their foods or grass but since i just started raising ducks i can see how hard it is to maintain those standards and i can see why it costs more for properly raised animals. The irony is that my own animals are not being raised to the standard that i hold my local farmers to.

That's the interesting issue though. One may try to go organic as much as possible. However other things may occasionally come in to defeat that purpose

 

[Cheryl Newberry]

New here but thought I'd chime in. The answer is no. Most say to use paraffin which is a petroleum based product. You might try bees wax. Not tried it but I don't see why it wouldn't work just as well. It would be more expensive to start with but you reuse the wax. I do mine right on the stove and it's not to messy if you are careful.. You melt the wax on top for water to dunk the ducks in so you don't need as much wax as you might think. About an inch of melted wax on top of the water. Amount of wax will vary depending on type of pot used. The wax stays on the surface and is removed so there is none left behind but if you are really concerned about petroleum based products I can understand the aversion to giving your food a paraffin wax dip.

 

[Henry S]

I did my 13 week old Muscovy drakes today. They dressed out at 6 pounds a piece. I don't want them any bigger than that. The meat is still tender and light colored.

 

[Old Philosopher]

Old thread, but I came here for answers.
My Muscovy are 10 wks. They are half the size of my 9 wk old Cornish-X chickens. I can't imagine butchering them at that size. I might see 2 1/2 lbs off a whole processed carcass.
I want to avoid the pin feather fiasco, so it looks like I might let them go to 18 months?

 

[chickens really]

A guy I know butchers at 16 to 18 weeks...He skins them and only uses the breast, liver and heart....I do not butcher...