Not rabbits- but ducks! Plucking advice needed.

[MamaSheepdog]

Since I am used to the ease of processing rabbits, I'm not really interested in the extra labor involved with plucking birds... so we are having someone else process our Thanksgiving turkey for us. We also have three ducks which are just too stinky to live, which I was hoping to get processed at the same time.

However, the person that offers butchering services has decided that ducks are too labor intensive and doesn't want to do them anymore. She says that scalding doesn't really work since ducks are (of course!) waterproof. They have tried skinning them, but their skin is well adhered to the meat so that still takes a lot of time.

Anyone have any experience processing waterfowl? I would prefer to keep the skin on, but since ducks are so fatty maybe it isn't really necessary?

 

[JessiL]

We have so far only done a few drakes, and we were surprised at how relatively easy it was. I think it was a function of how they did NOT have new feathers coming in.

Scald like you would a chicken, with plenty of Dawn detergent added to the scalding water.

Yes, save the skin if you can by plucking the whole bird and processing just like a chicken. Whole roast duck is wonderful. And most of the fat in a duck or goose is nestled between the skin of the breast and the meat, so when you skin it, you lose a considerable amount of fat. If plucking is not going well for whatever reason, then cut out the breasts and pull out the legs and the offal (if you eat liver and heart) without bothering to skin the entire carcass. You could finish skinning the remaining carcass so you could make duck stock, if you really want to, discarding wing tips, head, tail, and feet with the skin.

Some day we will try using "duck wax" to better salvage the feathers and down, but have no personal experience with that yet. I have been told that if you do use it, be sure to pre-heat your strainer before trying to strain the feathers and down from the molten wax - otherwise the wax will just cool on your strainer and ruin your day.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I helped process 10 ducks, and we used the scalding water method of feather removal, wearing rubber gloves and hanging bird by its feet, and essentially rubbing the feathers opposite their growth direction. I believe they then scorched the pin feathers with an acetylene torch, though I am not positive (we did an "assembly line" of 5-6 people, and I was on the chopping end). Afterwards, I know they also stuck an air compressor line under the skin to create an air pocket; it's supposed to make the fat drain better when cooking, without totally drying the meat as removing the skin would do.

 

[GBov]

I dry pluck ducks, it takes some time but itsnt hard to do.

 

[Dood]

I skin my ducks and I have found it comes off much easier than when I skin chickens, but not as easy as rabbits.

Since you don't have the skin holding in the juices, cook them like you would a rabbit with added moisture and buttered or wrapped in bacon.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I skinned mine also.. I couldn't be bothered going through the whole thing..It is harder to skin than skinning a chicken.. it does take more time. I don't like doing duck at all.. So I understand where she is coming from.. and yes MSD .. ducks stink.. I will not do ducks anymore.

 

[DarayTala]

I pluck ducks because i love the crispy skin, thats the best part! Adding the dish soap to the water gets through the water proofing and makes the feathers easier to pluck. It takes more time then a chicken, but if you get a few extra hands to help pluck it goes pretty fast.

 

[big bucks ny]

Dry pluck some some first then switch to dishsoap to finish the rest then map gas or propane torch for pin feathers. Three times the feathers three times the work, good luck, and yes the skin is the best.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Thanks everybody! I'll have to ask the lady if she tried dishsoap. We have propane torches, so no problem there, and we have an air compressor as well to separate the skin from the meat a bit.

The turkey is leaving on Sunday, being processed on Monday, and coming home Tuesday. I'll rest it in the fridge for a few days and then pop it into the freezer until a couple of days before Thanksgiving. :dinner:

 

[GBov]

Thanks everybody! I'll have to ask the lady if she tried dishsoap. We have propane torches, so no problem there, and we have an air compressor as well to separate the skin from the meat a bit.

The turkey is leaving on Sunday, being processed on Monday, and coming home Tuesday. I'll rest it in the fridge for a few days and then pop it into the freezer until a couple of days before Thanksgiving. :dinner:

What kind of turkey?

And I have three ducks to "do" but the time, omg where to find the time???

 

[bobqdevon]

We use wax. For our chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. So much easier than scalding. The less work involved, the better. Too many things to do to spend an entire day plucking.