well it's done ... bit graphic if you're squeamish

[lynda66]

well one down one to go, not much meat on it though, considering the size of em .... is now in debate as to whether to leave the other one a bit longer .... but i think he's missing his friend and feels a bit cruel .... does that sound strange after strangling a duck, and chopping its head off?

according to some friends who've just been round ... i'm a hard B***h cos they said they couldn't have done it .... and my neighbour had nightmares after he killed buttercup .... but being honest it didnt actually bother me ... i think cos i always knew it was just live meat ... and didnt have names (other than roast and crispy) and i formed no attachment to them ..... It was much easier than i thought it would be ... and was over in seconds ... the hardest part is the flapping after, cos i was panicking a bit that it wasnt dead, even though i knew it was cos it had no head ... cos apparently you're supposed to drain ducks of blood .... there was a lot of fat, but aylesburys appear to be very lazy so would probably be better to have livelier ducks ... if you're gonna eat them to increase muscle and reduce fat ..... plucking was much harder than it is for chooks, and the skin ripped much more easily, so much so i decided to skin the first one..... have since found out, plucking is easier if you put them in very hot water for a short while.....so all that remains to do now is cook one for dinner tomorrow .... the other one is going in the freezer for xmas

[Nicos]

Well done Lynda- not easy I know as no-one wants to cause undue pain /stress to any of their birds.
My French friend dunked our chooks in boiling water for about a minute after they'd hung and drained for 10 mins..the feathers just smudged out....a trick worth applying!
Hope they taste as yummy as you're expecting

[Hilary B]

Another trick for getting feathers and down off is to 'iron' over a damp tea-towel, just like pressing clothes. The feathers then almost fall off.
I wouldn't bother removing the head immediately. If the neck is properly broken, then the blood 'drains' into the break (which is a bit you wouldn't be eating anyway). All the post-mortem fluttering can be terribly messy if the head has been removed.....
Ducks never provide as much meat for the size of bird as a chicken, but loads of fat!

[bluemoon]

Well done, Lynda. A chap on our lotties is going to show us how it's done the first time, I'm terrified of doing it 'wrong' and causing distress and pain to the bird but I'm quite happy to be supervised the first time or two. I've come a long way though, from being unable to face the idea of yours being eaten because I'd seen photos of them as cute ickle chickies, to quite happily contemplating doing it to our own (though not the ones with names and personalities, obviously). When we eventually hatch chicks they will be Rhodies and the boys will be fattened for dinner. You just reach a point where it seems the most logical and sensible thing to do.

[RichmondHens]

I'm licking my lips ............... planning to get a few Aylesburys for fattening. Good to hear they are ready for the pot in 10 weeks.

Bluemoon, once you have tasted your own chicken, believe me, anything else will just taste "pappy" in comparison. The meat is firmer in texture and so much more full of flavour.

[di]

Well Done Love!You'll have to let us know how they taste.
It's our turn at the weekend...I think!At least two of the three boys are crowing now & they're all big enough,so realistically we can't keep putting it off.Shall think of you & hopefully gain a bit of strength...even though I won't be there...I'll probably keep the kiddies at home whilst Andi sorts out the deed.The plan is someone will show him how & possibly in future he'll do them.

[walldanzig]

I have it to do. How do you know when they are ready I know that sounds daft but i'm feeding the chookson turkey growers and they are getting down it something rotten

[Snadger]

Hmmm.............ducks eh??????? 10 weeks.............hmmmm, sounds good to me.
We aren't allowed ducks at the allotments but I'm sure I could hide some for the sake of 10 weeks!

[roitelet]

Just 'done' the ducks at 4 months and they were huge! Think that 10 weeks is a bit optomistic.

[Hilary B]

Just 'done' the ducks at 4 months and they were huge! Think that 10 weeks is a bit optomistic.

10 weeks is supposed to be the age when they don't have any awkward feathers, but should be reasonable eating as well (with a bit of luck and good feeding). I think 'commercial' ducks are killed at 8 weeks, but they have been fed for speed of growth.

[lynda66]

i think aylesburys are not the way to go if you planning on 10 weeks, yes they are massive ducks, but there was at least twice as much meat on buttercup and he was a lot smaller .... i think after the experience ... basically aylesburys are fat lazy s***ting eating machines .... 2 of em eat a hell of a lot more than 10 chicks ... dont eat grass and weeds or anything else to the same extent, and basically they are a lot more hard work and much more often more noisy than cockerels, no chance of hiding them snadger.

lets just say, i wont be bothering again .... but if you do decide on duck, i would suggest going for a less lazy breed, like pekins or runners or something, that will turn the fat to meat, cos with the aylesburys, they felt like there was loads of meat, but when skinned theres deffo not enough meat at 10 weeks for a family meal but too late now .... 10 weeks was very very optimistic, but i went on advice ... but i'll know if i ever do it again.

will report back on the taste on friday, but the consensus so far is .... dont bother unless you dont get aylesburys and they can totally free range so theres less fat, or you have a lot of spare cash for the amount of food they eat.

and hilary they have millions of awkward feathers ... ducks have down under their main feathers ... which is bloody awkward, as its so short ... which is why i ended up skinning instead of plucking

[lynda66]

I have it to do. How do you know when they are ready I know that sounds daft but i'm feeding the chookson turkey growers and they are getting down it something rotten

if they are cockerels .... when they crow at 4am and wake everyone up, if they are girls ... when they look big enough, chooks with plenty of excercise dont have much fat, so you can go by feeling the breast to see how much meat is on them

[Snadger]

.............................and hilary they have millions of awkward feathers ... ducks have down under their main feathers ... which is bloody awkward, as its so short ... which is why i ended up skinning instead of plucking

But my favourite part of the duck is the skin!

[lynda66]

But my favourite part of the duck is the skin!

but not with an inch of fat under it lol ... was mostly being lazy lol ... but the skin ripped very easily and it was doing my head in with all the piddly little feathers ... if you like the skin dont get aylesburys i guess lol

[Sue]

Lynda
Take my hat off to you. Had two young hens that turned out to be cockerels going under the name of Rose and Fanny poor things.
But it was getting to the crowing stage, although strangulated honking noises mostly until now and they're on the allotment which has a no cockerel rule.
Being out of work I couldn't afford to go on a course which has made me very cross as I just couldn't bring myself to do the deed without being sure I wasn't going to cause suffering and doing it in real life is very different to written instructions. There was no-one else to help or show me what to do and nobody wanted my lovely birds so today they went to the abbatoir. I feel cross with myself for paying £40 when if I'd had the knowledge could have done it for free and had two birds to eat.
And poor old Rose and Fanny, I hope it was over quickly for them.
Sue