tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post2180895328526308621..comments2024-03-18T22:33:57.339-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: Learning How To Pluck a DuckLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-65096764806947471942017-02-09T05:29:04.666-05:002017-02-09T05:29:04.666-05:00I know what you mean and am fortunate that Dan ste...I know what you mean and am fortunate that Dan steps up to the plate for the killing part. We work on the processing together. If I had to do it myself I reckon I could, but it's nice not to have to. :) Once the life has left, it becomes more of a procedure.<br /><br />Knowing that our animals had good lives and were killed humanely is part of why we do it. And letting them become overcrowded isn't humane either. Then some of them are too aggressive or are trouble makers, so there is no positive emotional attachment whatsoever. Often times it's a relief to have peace restored to the barnyard. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-72558842498947153892017-02-09T05:24:49.451-05:002017-02-09T05:24:49.451-05:00Keeping animals comes with hard decisions! Keeping animals comes with hard decisions! Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-78843643934148024682017-02-08T14:44:50.675-05:002017-02-08T14:44:50.675-05:00Wonderful information but the killing and butcheri...Wonderful information but the killing and butchering would be difficult for me as I wasn't raised with it. But the way our food supply is going and our country, I will never say never! What a great alternative to beef and some other animals. Sam I Am......https://www.blogger.com/profile/17358633233189452832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-38166125789182021512017-02-06T23:08:21.491-05:002017-02-06T23:08:21.491-05:00I grew up on the farm but guess I am not really a ...I grew up on the farm but guess I am not really a farm girl as I wouldn't want to do this! So much for me being self sufficient! LOL Nancy Cozy Thyme Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933769393226611441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-21466745222839557062017-02-06T17:05:41.801-05:002017-02-06T17:05:41.801-05:00Sandy, I'm going to say that you could wax a c...Sandy, I'm going to say that you could wax a chicken, but I don't think the extra step would be necessary. We've done more chickens than ducks and find that the hot water dunk does really well for us being able to get all the feathers out. The pin feathers are usually burned off. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-21238455814382483702017-02-06T15:55:00.884-05:002017-02-06T15:55:00.884-05:00Leigh,
I would assume the same process would be g...Leigh,<br /><br />I would assume the same process would be good for chickens. Interesting, I've leaned yet another processing step to make life a little easier when processing birds.Sandy Livesayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06183449816586125720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-36153546707031147292017-02-06T09:36:17.984-05:002017-02-06T09:36:17.984-05:00I have to agree that duck fat is wonderful. Muscov...I have to agree that duck fat is wonderful. Muscovy meat is not especially fatty, but there is a wonderful layer of fat right under the skin that melts out when it's roasted. <br /><br />You're probably right about the mechanical plucker. We just don't do enough birds in a year to justify the time to make it, even if we could find the parts. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-39162385403269417112017-02-06T09:10:39.844-05:002017-02-06T09:10:39.844-05:00I know a couple people who have made their own mec...I know a couple people who have made their own mechanical pluckers and they work quite well for chickens. I'm guessing Dan should be able to make one if he can find the odd parts. Saying that however, for such a low quantity, it might never pay for itself.<br /><br />I've only eaten duck at the odd chinese restaurant now and then and I don't know what kind of duck I'm eating. It is delicious. I hear though that the duck fat is the best thing about ducks. Great for cooking high end meals according to chefs. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-59777268677016573162017-02-06T09:08:56.746-05:002017-02-06T09:08:56.746-05:00P.S. Susan, do you have a blog? I keep wanting to ...P.S. Susan, do you have a blog? I keep wanting to make a return blog visit, but your blogger profile gives no clue.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-49435648113766277642017-02-06T09:02:17.297-05:002017-02-06T09:02:17.297-05:00Ha, ha. Maybe it's the old "don't ask...Ha, ha. Maybe it's the old "don't ask don't tell." :) I used to do that to my own mother, who declared she was allergic to liver. I'd put it in things like stuffings, gravies, and soups, all of which she declared delicious (and never exhibited symptom one of an allergy). <br /><br />I'd definitely start out with it as an ingredient if I wasn't sure. Seasoning and other flavors count for a lot. I don't know about the other breeds, but Muscovy is so beef-like that I'm guessing most folks would never guess. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-88851591473272382572017-02-06T08:55:45.654-05:002017-02-06T08:55:45.654-05:00When I read the title, I immediately thought of th...When I read the title, I immediately thought of the wax method. I watched a video, too. Hmmm. I wonder if I could grind up the meat and put it in my chili so they wouldn't know...My "I don't eat venison" son spent all of last year eating venison chili without knowing it. I saved a ground beef wrapper (washed and dried) and put it out on the counter every time. I had 20 pounds of sausage. Where did he think it went?Farmer Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596672416236302171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-73173264766080818182017-02-05T11:54:40.174-05:002017-02-05T11:54:40.174-05:00Susan, I didn't know that about pin feathers. ...Susan, I didn't know that about pin feathers. Can you give me an idea of when the best timing should be?<br /><br />Interesting about the Whizbang plucker. Hopefully those who have been commenting on pluckers will see your comment. <br /><br />Dan has decided that the skinning is probably the easiest and best route to go. <br /><br />I'm sorry to hear you lost so many ducks. That's always disheartening. At least you still have the two females. Of our two, we recently lost one. Found her dead in our small wheat field with only her throat bitten open. Not too sure what caught her, carried her off, and did only that. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-81836092352094497462017-02-05T11:37:27.532-05:002017-02-05T11:37:27.532-05:00Timing is everything with duck-plucking! If you ca...Timing is everything with duck-plucking! If you catch them at the right time, the pin feathers are hugely minimized. Love the visual of the wax plucking; I will have to get some for next time. Unfortunately, the harsh weather we have had the last 5-6 weeks has decimated my duck flock. I'm down to 2 females (I started with a breeding flock of 1 drake & 7 ducks, plus about a dozen that were freezer bound. Hoping to get a few more this afternoon).<br /><br />I only really need to pluck the breasts, since I love pan searing them. The rest of the duck can be skinned as far as I'm concerned. I slow roast the legs & thighs in whatever recipe I'm doing & can the results for future use (I did duck carnitas last spring, and I have a batch in the freezer that will become duck chile verde soon). I love duck stock for a variety of things, and mixed stock (duck, beef, pork, whatever combo you want) can be spectacular.<br /><br />I have a friend that made a Whizbang plucker. It worked like a charm on the chickens & turkeys. Not so much on the ducks. Since she doesn't eat chicken she sold it to someone who does.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18410853040767605005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-29854390058229212742017-02-04T21:29:46.204-05:002017-02-04T21:29:46.204-05:00It seems that the mechanical plucker works very we...It seems that the mechanical plucker works very well! Dan isn't convinced though, so I'll probably never know that first hand. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-8571736163112629322017-02-04T21:29:00.352-05:002017-02-04T21:29:00.352-05:00Well put, Chris. We humans have a different values...Well put, Chris. We humans have a different values for life and death than nature does, so it's hard to understand. We are so separated from nature that we have lost sight of its realities.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-38188545012343724432017-02-04T18:49:52.535-05:002017-02-04T18:49:52.535-05:00Thanks so much for those tips. We have too many du...Thanks so much for those tips. We have too many ducks as well and when the weather warms a bit we may be processing some. We do have an electric feather-beater-offer machine but I have no idea how it will work with the ducks. We shall see.Donna OShaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266654110280149719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-23033985681352865732017-02-04T18:01:05.426-05:002017-02-04T18:01:05.426-05:00Really well done for sticking with the learning pr...Really well done for sticking with the learning process, and ensuring you weren't overstocked. Some may think it cruel to raise an animal to eat it, but nature does it all the time. It does so with a respectful balance to the ecology, as well.<br /><br />Once again, thanks for sharing your experience.Chris https://www.blogger.com/profile/13715819899708384147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-10739721805873124782017-02-04T13:56:26.148-05:002017-02-04T13:56:26.148-05:00We did hot water with our first batch too, but the...We did hot water with our first batch too, but the zillions of pin feathers were a real pain. When I researched plucking ducks, it seems it isn't common to use hot water, except that this is mostly from hunters. Not sure if those who raise ducks for meat do the same. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-85428398631225775372017-02-04T13:55:21.015-05:002017-02-04T13:55:21.015-05:00Fortunately Muscovies don't need a lot of wate...Fortunately Muscovies don't need a lot of water! A small wading pool does them just fine. I also like them because they aren't a loud and noisy duck. They usually twitter. If they do quack, it's a pretty severe situation!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-5642270285984922382017-02-04T12:33:30.089-05:002017-02-04T12:33:30.089-05:00when we did our ducks they were dunked in hot wate...when we did our ducks they were dunked in hot water to make the plucking easier, might try the wax method next time thank you Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05213759909336433460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-71647644026484276912017-02-04T11:51:41.403-05:002017-02-04T11:51:41.403-05:00You have to develop a lot of different skills if y...You have to develop a lot of different skills if you're a homesteads, and you have certainly done that. I don't think I've ever eaten duck, and having no pond I probably won't have any up here on the mountain.Harry Flashmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05071021900005041592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-81131657703111623212017-02-04T10:56:39.010-05:002017-02-04T10:56:39.010-05:00Me too! :)Me too! :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-9733703686697545472017-02-04T10:56:22.803-05:002017-02-04T10:56:22.803-05:00That's a good way to describe it, Mama Pea. Da...That's a good way to describe it, Mama Pea. Dan's not convinced about the plucker, so I reckon we'll continue chickens by hand and ducks this way for the time being.<br /><br />The wax wasn't too bad to clean out of the pot. I scraped most of it away with a knife and used a scrubber to get the rest. Definitely not a deterrent to doing again.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-38831599244704884502017-02-04T10:08:36.320-05:002017-02-04T10:08:36.320-05:00That wax idea looks like it does the trick nicely....That wax idea looks like it does the trick nicely. Glad that you found it. I haven't had duck in forever...I don't even remember it. Glad you have a freezer full. :DRenee Nefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08167893445846427824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-41449272488303061092017-02-04T09:20:10.193-05:002017-02-04T09:20:10.193-05:00Wow, that duck dunked in the wax came out very cle...Wow, that duck dunked in the wax came out very clean! Was the wax receptacle (pail, bucket, small barrel, etc.) hard to clean out?<br /><br />We were fortunate to obtain our plucker at a very nominal price, and are soooo glad to have it. We have the mess of the feathers, but putting a tarp underneath the plucker takes care of 98% of them.<br /><br />Yep, we've been happy with our Muscovy duck meat (and the geese, too) just as you are. I think the greatest difference from beef is the texture which we find more dense. But yummy!Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.com