Posts Tagged ‘Ducklings’
Chick Arrival!
Actually they arrived early yesterday morning. My friend and fellow poultry raiser, Angela, was kind enough to let me tack on my 15 to her order. So, yesterday morning more than 50 peeping, fluffy chicks were delivered by the US Postal Service to the Post Office in our area. After they arrived, Angela and her kids set about the task of removing each chick from the shipping box and making sure they got a good drink of water and something to eat. They were then nestled in the warmth of their brooder box until each new owner picked them up. Angela left me a message that our future dinner entrees had arrived, but work and meetings and errands and dinner with my daughter prevented me from picking them up until late in the evening. Read the rest of the story »
The Duck Diaries
Counting Down
Well folks, the countdown is on. This time next week I’ll be packaging up twelve freshly processed ducks for the freezer. So far this has been a relatively easy meat project; just as simple as raising meat chickens, if you discount the water issue. But, I think the water would be a non-issue if I used an automatic water bowl similar to those used for dogs. That way the ducks could have an endless supply of water to drink and wash their faces in and I wouldn’t have to refill one-gallon water fonts four to five times a day. In reality the ducks use more water for washing themselves then they do for drinking. I have also decided that if I raise ducks again I will build a dedicated area that has more space and housing and figure out some way to manage the water splashing so the whole place doesn’t become a muddy mess. Right now they are in a corner of the barn. Although they have plenty of room there is no way for me to put together a set-up that allows them to go outside. I also think that more space will cut down on the manure build-up and I will use fewer bags of shavings for bedding.
I was asked if the ducks I raise will be less expensive than those you can buy in the stores. To be honest, I’m not sure. I haven’t calculated out all my expenses yet. But, what I do know is that I will have used 150 pounds of feed and about 6 bags of shavings by the time we butcher next weekend. I’m sharing the cost of the feed with sis and one bag of feed was free with a buy-one-get-one free coupon Brianne won at a sheep show. The cost of the ducklings was a trade with the hatchery for our Sebastopol gander that died shortly after we brought him home last year. The water is a big mystery because I don’t use a meter to track it. But, a rough idea of cost for someone thing of raising ducks would be:
$57.70 — 12 ducklings
$37.00 — 3 50# bags of feed
$40.50 — 6 bags of shavings
$135.20
Only our local gourmet stores and some ethnic stores carry duck meat. The gourmet stores charge almost $20 a pound for breast meat and slightly less for thigh and leg combos while the ethnic stores sell frozen packaged duck meat for about $16.00 for a package that is less than 3 pounds. This is one of the reasons we decided to raise our own. With the above numbers, our ducks will end up costing about $11.26 per duck. BUT…the big difference is our ducks will process out at about 5 pounds each—twice as heavy as anything in the markets.
For now though I’m keeping my eye on the ball and getting ready for butchering day.
Sandy and I are doing things a little differently this time. Instead of me packing up a load of birds and traveling to her farm she is coming to mine and bringing all the equipment with her—scalder, plucker, stainless steel table, cones, knives and scissors. I’ll supply the electricity for heating up the water in the scalder and an endless supply of water for rinsing and washing. We’ll set up on the patio where we will have easy access to electrical outlets and water, shade and the kitchen for ice and other necessities.
Should be interesting, folks.
Stay tuned. The whole process will be posted here next week.
The Duck Diaries
The Ducklings are Here!!
The drive up north on Friday was long but uneventful, just the way I like it. With every trip, though, it seems like the road gets longer and longer. Over the hills from our little farm, to the freeway that takes us out of the county. Up the coast where the fog hangs like a sheet covering the morning sun then turn inland and the fog burns off, the sun comes out and the weather changes from cool coastal to warm and dry. Before you know it we’ve passed through towns and small cities before the road opens up into miles of rich green fields of farmland. This valley that is cased in morning fog and cooled in the evening by an ocean breeze is the salad bowl of California. The fields are a patchwork of lettuce, spinach, asparagus, cabbage and broccoli, dotted by colorful tractors and irrigation lines that seem to stretch into the horizon.
We arrived at Metzer Farms about 3:30 in the afternoon. Early enough that we wouldn’t have to rush to get to the show grounds before dark (an hour away). It was stormy, chilly and the wind was blowing briskly, which made it seem even colder. Ashley met us in the driveway and told us where to park so we would not be in the way.
Metzer Farms is a large waterfowl breeding operation. Pastures full of breeding females line the driveway leading to the brooding house and shipping barn. The pens are long and narrow with a duck house at the far end. I walked along the road looking at the huge flocks resting under the trees. We could hear the cacophony of babies through the open door of the brooder house.
I walked back to the truck and unpacked the temporary brooder we brought with us, lined it with a few layers of paper towels then proceeded into the office. As Ashley and I chatted about the breeds I bought and any special care instructions, she typed up my receipt. When we were finished I waited patiently, thinking that one of the workers would walk through the door with my new batch of ducklings, but no one came.
When Ashley asked if I needed anything else I sheepishly said, “the ducks”, at which point she looked over toward the side of her desk. When I walked around the corner there they were, snug and quiet and all twelve of them in the bottom of a paper grocery bag. Low tech packaging, perfect. Read the rest of the story »
The Duck Diaries
Coming Soon!!
On Friday I will be picking up my new batch of meat ducks. I’m so excited to be starting this new venture in meat production. We will pick up six Pekin and six Rouen ducklings on the way to one of Brianne’s last sheep shows of her career. It’s sad to think of this coming to an end, but the addition of the ducklings will take our minds off the close of this chapter. The long drive north will be broken up by stops to feed stores to replenish sheep feed with the main stop being Metzer Farms.
I spent part of the morning gathering up the supplies I will need to make their long journey to our homestead a safe and comfortable one. A large plastic storage bin will serve as a temporary brooder box. Inside it I packed heat lamps, a one-gallon waterer, a feeder, a roll of paper towels to line the bottom of the bin so their little duck feet won’t slip, potentially causing injury. I also packed six pounds of Quick Grow Kracketts, a high protein starter mash specifically made for new chicks, ducks and turkeys. All is loaded in the back of the truck. Now we just wait for Friday to arrive.
When I decided not to replace the Sebastopol gander we lost last year I called Metzer Farms and asked if I could trade the value of the gander for an equal value in meat ducks. They were happy to oblige. I’m excited to be visiting them again. It’s so wonderful to see the pastures of breeding stock roaming around and the large brooding houses are quite something. If we leave early enough in the morning maybe we will have time for a short tour. One can hope, right?
There are three main breeds used for meat duck production – Pekin, Rouen, and Muscovy. After some research and reading I decided to raise the Pekin and the Rouen because of the quality and flavor of their meat; and, because the Muscovy are a little freaky looking with the caruncle’s on their heads. I know, sounds wimpy of me, but I can’t help it. The thought of eating an animal that looks like that is just too, too off-putting. My selection was good for another reason…Metzer only sells Pekin and Rouen.
There you have it folks! In just 49 days we’ll go from ducklings to dinner entrée as I post the whole process here in the “Duck Diaries”. So, stay tuned!
Raising Ducks for Meat
Meat chickens, turkeys and rabbits are the quintessential small livestock used for meat production on farms and homesteads of all sizes. But other fowl, like ducks, should not be discounted as a viable source of food and income. In fact, ducks are thought to be easier to raise then meat chickens because they are heartier and don’t require expensive housing. They can handle many different climates very well. They eat a variety of foods, from kitchen scraps to garden culls to small critters like toads and snails. Ducks are also beneficial. They produce good quality fertilizer while ridding the garden of weeds and bugs. And, they are not as susceptible to avian diseases as chickens are.
So—if you’ve mastered raising your own meat from other small livestock and want to try something new, try ducks.
The more popular meat duck breeds include the Pekin, Rouen and Muscovy. The White Pekin is a favorite of the three because it produces delicious, healthy white meat. The Rouen is second to the Pekin with its flavorful carcass. Rounding out the trio is the Muscovy because the meat is similar to ham or sirloin steak, yet much leaner (98% fat free). Read the rest of the story »
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