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Author Topic: talk to me about table ducks  (Read 3839 times)

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
talk to me about table ducks
« on: March 04, 2015, 03:34:31 pm »
very early stages not even sure they will make the final cut of stuff for the table this year...


what breeds are good for eating (not interested in eggs)


what age do i get them at?


how long till they ready to go in freezer?


i know they need water etc but any other special requirements i need to be aware of?


think of this as basic research, please help my brain...

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2015, 04:40:46 pm »
Hi Bloomer,
 
We bought some pekin type hatching eggs through Central Scotland Smallholders (they came from the same supplier as the hubbard eggs for the incubator).
 
They were all fertile, had a 90% hatch rate and in time turned into big white fluffy ducks  :thumbsup: .
 
I am NEVER doing it again though. The mess and smell of thirty ducklings had to be experienced to be believed. They were also much harder to dress than chickens, for far less meat. In the end we just skinned and jointed most of them TBH. 
 
If I had been able to raise them on concrete or mesh, and could hose everything down twice a day, maybe it would have been worth it. However, just keeping them in a shed and in a grass run really wasn't the way to do it.
 
BTW, how about turkeys instead?  ;D
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2015, 04:42:50 pm »
hmmm ok, i don't particularly like turkey i like duck!




Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2015, 04:45:21 pm »
Be my guest then  :&> :&> :&> . Just don't say I didn't warn you!  :innocent:
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2015, 04:47:47 pm »
nope warnings like this will be factored into the decision making process


im planning on doing a dozen hubbards this year at home for the first time and ducks MIGHT be done as a secondary project


how many did you do in what size area?

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2015, 04:57:12 pm »
IIRC, we set thirty eggs and only a couple didn't hatch.  We kept them in a 6x4 shed, and when old enough, let them out to play behind a 50m poultry mesh, which we moved regularly.
 
Others may say differently, but I would strongly advise you to just stick with the hubbards at least for your first year of table birds.

The ducks have another disadvantage: they're cute as hell, and your kids are bound to get attached to them!
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2015, 04:58:25 pm »
lol ok




lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2015, 06:53:56 pm »
I will hopefully have some muscovy for the table later on in the year-you can try a couple first for size etc without the trouble of rearing them if you'd like?

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2015, 09:39:15 pm »
oooh now that might be tempting!!!


HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2015, 09:46:29 pm »
I don't rear mine specifically for the table but do eat spare drakes (last three due on Friday). Ducklings are super messy and stinky. I only tend to have a handful at a time and they're lovely for week or two and then just a walking mess machine until you can throw them out once they're at least part feathered at six weeks or so. They do mature faster than chickens so you only need to put up with mess for a couple of months although mine are older by the time I can face up to dispatch.

RPF

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2015, 10:50:13 pm »
I would recommend Musvovys without a doubt. They take a bit longer to mature but they fatten on a handful of ration. I had mine in with some growers just fed on wheat and a bit of barely plus they were mating like buggery and their dressed weght was 6lb. Breast tastes just like beef and hardly any fat.

I slow grow mine and get them just as they are starting to mate, so probably around 20 weeks but I guess you could do them around 16 weeks on fattening ration? They love meat. Any longer than 20-25 weeks and they are a pain - mating a scrapping.

I use a mixing tray for water. They are mega hardy and prefer to sleep outside but can be tempted in.

Females 60% of the size of the males so try to get males. Seasonal layers and good brooders.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: talk to me about table ducks
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2015, 08:46:09 am »
Equally, how about geese Bloomer?  They'll fatten up nicely on grass and growers pellets.
 
The goslings are still messy (not as bad as ducks IMHO), but you get a lot more meat per bird at the end of it all. The only real downside compared with muscovies is that they get noisy once fully grown.
 
Ours are currently laying, so let me know if you want hatching eggs.
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

 

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