Duck for dinner. My husband has been looking at our ducks for a few weeks now and hinting, hinting.... But I've been loath to 'do one in' because I haven't been able to tell drakes from ducks. Drakes develop little curled feathers on their tails, but not for another few months.
But last weekend we were doing a few other birds (roosters and the turkeys - RIP) and we decided to do a duck anyway. I've also been told that ducks quack and drakes wheeze/hiss. So I picked the biggest wheeziest one and that's him, above.
If you look close, you can see our first problem we encountered. Major plucking. We had been told to cull them at 9 weeks to avoid their new pin feathers coming through. And they were right. Also, he was really, really fat. So I think we'll let the rest mature a little more to let their feathers come through for easy plucking and then when we get breeding properly, we will kill our eating ones at 8 weeks.
This is a roast we had from one of our roosters. Nothing tastes like chicken again once you've had a homegrown one that you know had a good life and a quick death. Yum!
If you are planning to kill and pluck your own birds, the best ever way we have found of plucking is the hot water trick. Heat up a big pot of water till it's about 68 degrees Celsius - or for me, too hot to put my hand in but not boiling. A squeeze of detergent then dunk for freshly killed bird in for a minute and get plucking. The feathers practically fall out (except from a 10 week old duck!).
I'll tell you how the duck tasted tomorrow.
You have my admiration girl, killing my own food is not somewhere you'll find me. I am in awe of you though, hope he tasted good!
ReplyDeleteno................LOTTIE DONT DO IT!!!!! i thought you were in another country, but i found you by that interest section thing, i love chickens,lol
ReplyDeleteSorry, dirtyduck! I love my animals too, I just eat them. And I'd so much rather eat an animal that's been loved, fed well, and had a good life running around.
ReplyDeleteThe other side of the coin to chickens is roosters. Can't hatch out one without hatching out the other - and you can only have so many roosters.
Lookin' yummy to this meat-eater.
ReplyDeletegood morning! Just saw you on down to earth!
ReplyDeleteI was reading it and thought - I know them!!!!!
we're off to the Country Fair in KK.
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Hello, Thanks for sending in your kitchen to Rhonda @ Down to Earth. I loved that your kitchen was in use. Love your blog and signed up to follow and will put a link under 'Blog Updates so that I may keep up with your post.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Barbara
http://3acrehomestead.blogspot.com/
Hi! Linked up to your blog today via a 6 Degrees Blog Hop and featured your blog in my post at http://bethaworkinprogress.blogspot.com/2010/03/six-degrees-of-blogging-blog-hop.html
ReplyDeleteThat is one YUMMY looking duck!
Found your blog with a kitchen. Love that kitchen so here I am, signed up for more :)
ReplyDeleteWe quilt round here too. Try artfibredunedin.blogspot if you want a look.
viv in nz
You're very real and I like that. I believe the hot water dunk is the best way too. Love the rabbit road trip story too. We talk fowl on my blog as well,
ReplyDeletewww.suburbanjubilee@blogspot.com