[mentalmilly]

Has anyone any tips on the best way to pluck ducks without the aid of machines or tons of wax?  Seems to be a lot of pin feathers on the one we did today, think it was about 20weeks old.  What is the best age to kill and pluck ducks? These are muscovy and the taste is great.

[MAK]

Ah - just off to do another myself. Our are about 15 weeks and come clean as a whistle after a dip in boiling water. Use bare fingers and you will notice that the down that sticks to your fingers actually helps pick up any little feathers. A rub down with kithchen cloth will also take out any little ones.
Pluck when the wings cross is what others say. We have doen the males and are moving onto the females - had one roast last night - just perfect - wed had tostop ourselves from eating the entire bird. 

[mentalmilly]

Thanks MAK  will try the boiling water next time, not thought of the rub down but good idea to try.  Its a good meal and yes its easy to pig out on duck its so nice.

[Shropshirelass]

Hi milly the best age I'd say is around your age to 6 months it just depends if you prefer them slow growing or not but the meats more tender at that age,  but we have killed birds at around 1-3 years & ate them quite happily (Normally we kill ours at around 6 or 12 months when we do a cockeral cull or kill the geese for xmas. So we don't really do it that often.

As for plucking birds the boiling water method works a treat especially with waterfowl which I find easier to pluck than other poultry, but do it as soon as you have killed the birds & emerse the whole body under the water with something like a broom handle so not to scald yourself for around 30-60 seconds & then pluck almost imediatley - we do this with the geese & ducks & have a proper boiler ( I don't know if you can still buy them) & we can pluck a goose in approx 10-15 mins using this method, then leave to hang for approx a week before dressing to let it gain flavor x. 

[MAK]

Leave to hang for a week?
So this is before you draw the bird?
I have read that others do this with geese and ducks.
Can you explain please?
For example  - do you bleed the duck out after the kill and if so what do you do about the open site when hanging outside for a week. I stemperataure an issue?
Our ducks are so good to eat after a quick kill, immediate plucking and drawing then eating the same or next day. I would worry aboy contamination if I hung a duck with no head for a week.

[Shropshirelass]

Hi mak yeah we bleed them we have an ex proffesional slaughterman & butcher who does ours who is v good & he helps us dress them afterwards bascially he dislocates the neck & in turn snapping the spinal cord then bleeds by cutting the corotted artery, we have someone holding the wings so not to make a mess & to keep the birds as calm as possible the whole process takes around 3-4 minutes & then they are placed in the boiler for 30-60 seconds & plucked & each bird is done on its own - the flapping can unerve people at 1st but it is purely a nervous reflex with the nervous system shutting down, its the same with rabbits after being shot sometimes or even shortly after  people or animals have died. We also starve our birds for 24 hours before hand.

As for hanging & we do the same with game except smaller game like partridge which is more half a week.  But we hang them in our cellar so not outdoors but always cool even in summer with the heads & legs on after being bled & we just eat our own birds & sell the rest live just b4 xmas but I suppose you could eat them fresh after dressing straight after slaughter, it's just what we've been told & we've never had any problems & we tend to cover them with bags.

I can honestly say that although I hate having to have our birds killed but knowing we have someone who is trained & professional in doing it does a brilliant job, & the birds are calm & have a decent & quick slaughter - never with any problems, after a good free range life with a river to swim & play on - slaughter is never nice but my policy is I take pride in the way we slow grow & look after our livestock while they are all alive thus resulting in far superior quality meat as opposed to fast grown - this is also why approx 80% of our meat goes direct to local butchers & abbotoirs which are maybe 20 mins drive if that who only take small numbers of animals per day & only 20% through markets if that x

This 1 woman does it v simalar to us x

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=27727.0

[MAK]

I may try hanging a plucked duck in the cellar then - I think starving 24 hours before may help with my concern of active processes going on inside the duck for a week but I will see how it goes. I guess that the cut on the neck will not be a route for infection.
Do people hang rabbits ? and if so in what state and for how long. I process mine and pop it in the fridge then freezer within an hour but am open to new suggestions.
Martin

[Shropshirelass]

We hang again for a week after shooting & the same for wild duck & pheasant we get given - a little less for smaller birds like partidge - its entirely up to you mak & what you feel comfortable with as I'm sure their fresh from day 1 x

[mentalmilly]

Hi  I have been eating my ducks the same day as killing them so for me l will probably not hang them. They taste ok as they are. I think l like to get them out of the way and in me or the freezer, and not having to deal with them in a few days later.
Will definately try the hot water though. Thanks for the tips its good to get others way of doing things.  We have a turkey that we are growing for xmas, not done those before but l expect they are like plucking a large chicken ( l hope ) and wont be as difficult as a duck, less feathers.

[northfifeduckling]

only done it once...remeber it was hard work! Don't think I'd bother again but let us know how you get on, Muscovies are good for meat.

[MAK]

Plucking is just like many other tasks - one developes a technique and routine for laying things out in readiness. I can do a rabbit in a few mins and am pretty quick at plcking a muscovey now. We tend to have the gizzards with salad and walnuts for tea as part of the duck routine.
I am thinking that when we do the next batch of rabbits we should do something with their livers. Any sugestions? 

[northfifeduckling]

love them - even more than chicken or lambs' livers - quick fry with a bit of mustard and creme fraiche -anything like toast or salad with it will do 

[deepinthewoods]

rabbit kidneys are lovely too!

[Sylvia]

The black, inky quills can be scrubbed out with a clean nail brush and hot water. Plucking ducks and geese needs patience and good company

[Luce747]

dont pluck, skin. Lot easier to skin them!