How to PROCESS DUCKS for Meat | Polyface Farm

We learned something new!!! While we were at Polyface we were able to see and help with a duck butchering.
Shane from Meadow Wood farm was gracious enough to teach us how to butcher ducks because there are some different steps involved . Follow along with Shane on his Instagram account @shanemurrow / shanemurrow
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[@myheartisinthemountains2660]

This guy is well spoken and knows what he's doing on this process. AND he's a busy guy and hard worker! Great video and interview!

[@Lutfia6940]

Good

[@4philipp]

By the 2 minute mark, I learned so much important duck plucking info that makes this pure gold.

[@4philipp]

Hands down the best duck plucking video.

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

Thanks!

[@100snyderm]

Agreed! Thanks so much for this incredible useful information!

[@4philipp]

I rewatched the video to take notes. Can’t let this info get away from me. How long before rigor mortise sets in for ducks?

[@sharoncochran8508]

I was telling a friend about seeing a vat full of ground beef in the back room of a grocery store that was uncovered and blowing with flies. It kinda makes you want to know how your food is handled. BTW, I never shopped there again. As difficult as this would be, I appreciate the integrity of the way y'all process. Mike, Lacie, Selah, Josiah and Micah, thank you for sharing a little bit of your lives!

[@davelawson2564]

Art and Bri went on a trip and came back to fridge with meet had shutdown and meat had rotted & stinking all over the home. sh*it happens

[@savoryflan]

We never had duck growing up; I tried it for the first time at 33 years old. We were at a food and wine fest and a stand was selling roasted duck with some berry sauce. OMG it was amazing 🥺

[@PatricesProjects]

Being a city dweller, I don't raise livestock, but as you know, I am interested in learning about so much more than I can do. This was extremely informative and respectfully done.

[@michellehumphrey7986]

I live in the city and have chickens and ducks

[@shawkwolfin929]

This guy knows his stuff... talking about the animal flat-lining in 3 seconds, ATP leaving the cells causing the muscle contractions at the end of Kreb's cycle until the animal goes into tetanus and exhaustion of all remaining cellular energy... I'm impressed! Great how-to video with the added cellular science bonus. A+++!!!

[@trishanavarro4887]

Such a great video. This guy knows his stuff. He's a natural teacher & super kind.

[@ScotchMcCoy]

Extremely respectful and educational video. Not alot of videos like this in the world so thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@theresamcmullen4841]

Look at you lovely people introducing the society to one and other . Many blessings are you. Thank you.

[@slrein42]

I love that others are willing to share their best practices so you can learn more! Mike and Lacy...your doing great! Can't wait to see your homestead grow

[@kyleashton6883]

Thank You Mike and Thank You Joel Salatin for Always Lending a Helping Hand to the Farming Homesteading Community. This Was Very Informing and Right to the Point. From Mid-Coast Maine

[@chrisb5391]

Thank you for this wonderful video on processing the ducks. I have never seen the process, but this was very humane. I am not in the homesteading community, but I so enjoy seeing all of you work together and share the knowledge each has gained. Thank you both.

[@jamarilee5162]

you prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a method to log back into an instagram account?? I somehow lost my login password. I would love any help you can offer me!

[@sonnyahmad3378]

@Jamari Lee Instablaster =)

[@jamarilee5162]

@Sonny Ahmad thanks for your reply. I found the site on google and I'm trying it out now. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@SimplyJanHomestead]

What an amazing process this was and such an honoring of the animals that will give food to help sustain someone else. Thank you! ❤️

[@irmibullinger1421]

I saw other NC homesteaders stuggling with ducks. I'm glad you got this lesson and can pass on the info to your friends! Safe travels home.

[@mykehyslop198]

What is "stuggling" ? Never heard that word before. 🤔

[@irmibullinger1421]

@@mykehyslop198 haha, I have no idea. I commented that 2 years ago. It was probably a type-o Maybe struggling?

[@shonitagarcia3222]

Great share, I love how very informative this man is. He really knows his stuff. And the whole operation is fast and efficient even though they consider it slow. Everyone is calm and the production is moving. This calm atmosphere is good for the ducks too. Paraffin Wax is what is recommended to use for safe for food consumption in general. They sell paraffin wax in the pickling aisles in the grocery store for people who still can the old methods of sealing the tops of jams and potted meats. This is awesome! Thank you for sharing.

[@EdwoodAcres]

Thanks for saying where to get the wax❤️

[@rebdomine1]

Good point about the calm atmosphere. Doing it inside a big stainless steel box with AC and extractor noise bouncing around would be more traumatic than this covered outdoor setting with just the bubbling of the wax in the background. I liked how authoritatively he held the ducks without stressing them before quickly loading them. Very respectful and efficient.

[@pollywac1719]

The joy in that young man's face for the life he's living, job He's doing , then sharing it all with you with pure joy was fun to watch..

[@angiesmith3572]

To the guy in the harvesting duck video,I just want to say you were about the humanest person I've seen on you tube video ,so coming from me that is a compliment ,I love animals and I really wish killing all over the world would stop,always show mercy like we want God to do us

[@longarmsupplies]

The joyful smile on Shane's face says it all. Thanks for the video. We're in our first year of ducks too and needed to know how to process them.

[@TinaThevarge]

So grateful for channels sharing tips and tricks. This video is gold.

[@hitesfamilyhomestead1707]

Thank you for all this amazing info. Processing 25 pekin on Sunday with 6 of us. Can't wait to use some of these tips!

[@kimantonelli1755]

Ive have the equipment for chickens and turkeys, just built a wax tank and am ready to give this a try, done it in the past and said I'd never do duck again, but now have new inspiration.

[@salinamcdaniel8878]

Wax,I would have never guessed in a million years! Brilliant!

[@EddieSpaghetti07]

Maybe thats the type of wax i need in order to wax my sexy chest . Just saying

[@bigrikstube]

Thanks Mike; I've not messed with ducks except VERY old school hand plucking. I might reconsider now because I love duck. I am very jealous of those that get to get "hands dirty" at Polyface but thanks for sharing your videos with us.

[@wrightfamilyhomestead]

These videos from Polyface farm are outstanding! I am learning so much! Thank you.

[@creinicke1000]

Loved seeing the process and great explaination of difference between chickens and ducks in processing. Look forward to seeing the young man's farm.. he seemed so patient and calm when teaching.

[@nickjuly4998]

First time seeing ducks being processed. Learned so much. Thanks for sharing

[@kimwilliams-guillen2801]

Thanks for putting this video together it's one of the ones I consult the most when doing mallard descended ducks.

[@juanitahaleyfrizzell2191]

Very educational and inspiring, guys! I've processed a lot of broilers and turkeys, but never ducks. I'll have to consider ducks next year.

[@mountainsidefarm8357]

I love how gracious and thankful you two always are! 💞💞🙏🏻🙏🏻 This was so Interesting!!! I love the wax idea!!

[@lindamacon8027]

As I am planning in the future for a homestead, I figured ducks and geese would be too difficult to process from how I had seen others struggling, but this was excellent info... well-documented and well-shared! All that equipment would be too expensive for a smaller operation like me, but I figure there could be ways to do it inexpensively too. I would also hope to find folks to come together to share the work as a team and even bring all their birds to do as well. I plan to be looking for a homestead later this year or early next in Western NC... leaving LA to come back home as soon as I can....

[@lindamacon8027]

Thank you, I have eaten duck and LOVE it, but I never had goose yet. In my area, it is VERY hard to find either in the grocery stores... and then very expensive! (No rabbit either) This video really encouraged me not to avoid them in the future! 😉

[@minnesotagal507]

Jj my mom was born in Germany, we always raised geese for the holidays.

[@mlm7598]

So interesting and so many tricks of the trade. This was so very interesting and loved the knowledge you shared with us. Right on!!! Blessings on your future undertakings!

[@ricardocarosio5896]

Hello guys, I'm from Brazil and I really love watching your videos, one day I will have this life that I admire so much. Living far from cities is much better. Congratulations.

[@jumanji5239]

The guy is a great farmer! Wish him and his family the best 👌. Wholesome video

[@rickayers3150]

Thank you for this video it couldn't of come at a better time. Greg Gunther is a a great guy and very knowledgeable, the community we share is the best.

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

Our pleasure!

[@4evermetalhead79]

These guys have thought of everything. Really cool process.

[@beatusrwegoshora6726]

I have learnt a lot,much respect from you guys. All the the way from Tanzania

[@CathyGoes]

Duck wax has microcystalline wax added in addition to the paraffin wax for better adhesion. It also adheres better if the duck is dried prior to waxing.

[@jeepershomestead5295]

I had no idea ducks were processed like this. Soap makes sense because of their oil, even thought I never thought about it. But wax? I never would have guessed. Glad I seen this video before we get ducks down the future road. Amazing

[@albanymountainhomestead]

You can also burn/ or use a kitchen torch to burn off the fine feathers, no messy wax to deal with.

[@BbyKiS2y]

Wow! That's a very cleanly plucked duck. Very impressive!

[@h.s.6269]

This was very educational, thanks for the clear explanations on how it works. I really love how you enjoy still learning and exploring how other homesteads handle things. Getting to know the community around you and those further out is awesome to see. It gives me hope to build good relations with my neighbors once I'm able to get land. I'm already doing what I can in an urban environment and practicing showing care to the neighbors here since im not naturally social, lol. I try and share my harvests and I love on their dogs (with their blessing of course) through the fences and one of their cats even hops over for some loving, he is a super sweet boy and I saved him from a cat fight when he was a kitten from a stray male.

[@mikesorensen1981]

Very fast and humane, I learned a lot watching 👍

[@1943vermork]

I had no idea about the wax station. Such a surprise for me. Make me also realize that processing duck is slightly more cumbersome.

[@asumapammei6330]

So professional. Knows his work so well

[@Chidlhealt]

Skills we were blessed to acquire as children growing up in the village in south africa limpopo, elim

[@Sammie_Jo_1982_Homestead]

Wow great video! We do ducks just a few , when it comes to plucking them, I just hate that part.. trust me when I say, here comes the wax! THANK YOU ! I truly am doing the plucking dance lol. lo Thank You all again! Blessing from Canada!

[@lindav3455]

Love the video Mike! Great watching you pitch in a help on Polyface Farm.🧡🤗❤👍

[@ricks7432]

I have been hunting and eating wild ducks most of my life. I bought one of these just to see the difference. I could not believe how tender and juicy these tame ducks were compared to wild. Very good tasting and nice looking. I think I paid about $14 for a 4.75 lber at a grocery market. Well worth it and I did not have to worry about biting into a steel pellet. I already have a crown on one molar because of that.

[@FarewellAphrodite]

Damn 🤠

[@GazuntaiWorld]

Really excellent instructional video, well presented. the best I have seen so far on duck processing.

[@ryandesmond6250]

Most important part of the whole thing :D :D @ 11:04 Q:"Is there a specific type of wax you use?" A: "Paraffin wax"

[@renobgm]

Is that where Aflac got its name?

[@GrowingLittleCountryhomestead]

The wax part was cool, such a good idea.

[@adelacoburn1396]

Wow, wow, wow..just learned something new, thank you for sharing this. If I ever have to process my own ducks, I'll be able to do it. Excellent video, thank you Mike-Lacey and God bless

[@muthuraj7388]

This guy just lives his life🔥🔥🔥

[@ElDuardo01]

Amazing, I can't believe that plucker machine it's like magic

[@myrzaduque-canguilan7094]

I was so inspired by this video that I decided to start selling dressed ducks two weeks ago. I don't have all these cool equipments yet, hoping to be able to afford them soon. This business is really profitable. By the way I'm from the Philippines. I'm a a new fan of yours.

[@ObetPimentel]

You're in the pinas right now? Heard Peking Duck very expensive there! Do you raise the ducks or just buy?

[@rickyerton6615]

I just got ducks almost 4 weeks ago. Got em to eat them. Thanx for the video. Great info. Didn’t know about the 49 days thing. Glad I watched. Thanx

[@Nobody-u7u]

Thank you for such a great educational video. There is a lot of science in it. I especially like the design of that stainless steel cone housing the whole body of the duck with its head exposed.

[@inderwink]

Nice guy, Shane. And farm fit to boot!

[@4BWVan]

I really hope you end up at Shane's place. He's knowledgeable and nice! Also learned a lot from this video. Thanks!

[@t.m.3769]

Excellent video! Direct and to the point!👏🏾🙌🏾

[@beardedweirdest]

Very humane. It's nice to see someone focused on QUALITY rather than QUANTITY. Naturally raised animals that are harvested in a less stressful environment tend have better flavor, better fatty acids and better quality of nutrition. Much respect 🙏

[@xavierrose8208]

Shane is a bread winner ❤

[@EddieSpaghetti07]

The fit farmer- Mike - is a total caramel 😘😘😘

[@robbyseeks8550]

I work at a duck processing plant and your technique is very similar to ours. Good job guys

[@janetottaviano3481]

So interesting, thank you for sharing this. Loved those stations that had a water supply handy.

[@GladysRWhite]

This was a great experience for you guys, so happy you were able to go. Lacey, if you're interested, the chinese cuisine has great recipes for cooking ducks heads, chicken feet, and your family could learn and enjoy new cultures through their cuisines... delicious!

[@howardhalter3032]

Great job love seeing the process line that you have set up in your lane to anyways great great job keep up the good work

[@rindaintheraw]

Love it. Thanks for your great work. I'll hope to do the same one day, but for now I'm on my balcony gardening and make the odd video for my channel

[@jessicatrepagnier9487]

This is extremely helpful. Thank you. Do you have a link for the wax? What temp should the wax be? And do you put water in the bottom first, then add wax?

[@TheFamilyFarmstead]

That was very informative, thank you for bringing us along!

[@heatherdoodles5504]

I have had a duck flock for companionship/eggs. I did, however, research culling the ducks because as much as I love my ducks, I felt obligated to respect their purpose. Mike, I have been a follower for a few years now but this has been one of my most favorite videos because it teaches respect and the process. Even if I choose to never cull on my own, I have respect for those who do. Thank you so much and much love to your family 💙💜💙

[@MountainRoots]

The wax is such a GREAT idea! Nice video once again 👊.... oh, and love that ending song you used!

[@christymartin9404]

This video has hopefully helped me understand the process so that when my ducks are old enough I can process them myself. Thank you for sharing this information 👍

[@4philipp]

49 days...

[@ARROGANTBOII]

😮😮😮

[@291rajk]

Farmers around the globe are same ..they are so hardworking

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

Yes they are!!

[@leahbening]

Thank you for sharing that experience. it was very interesting and informative!

[@birgitelisabeth9661]

I cleaned ducks without wax; it’s almost impossible to get all the down off.

[@albanymountainhomestead]

A little kitchen torch can help with that.

[@BillionaireMindsetLetsGrow]

Thank you for sharing with us!

[@gotoflooring81]

This is the best. The safest way for doing this.

[@munenex]

The waxing bit is genius.

[@upasakalee]

Thanks for this video. I've been thinking about raising some ducks and just in the first few minutes I learned a lot.

[@albanymountainhomestead]

THANK YOU FIT FARMER FAMILY for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.... I absolutely agree the homestead community is like family working together for the good of other's. It doesn't have to be secret about how to succeed. I love how we share our experiences with the hope that it helps other's in their journey. I never felt I belonged, but have found my people in this community! God bless the farmers and homesteaders!

[@chcnsac]

#artandbri remembered seeing how difficult it was to remove all of the tiny quills. Very interesting and amazingly informative! Thank you for sharing the tricks and tips of the trade. Can’t believe how much Shane and his fiancé are doing on the farm that they manage. So many irons in the fire, but learning from the best! #joelsalatin

[@abcjg65t]

Freaking awesome video. I could definitely use these ducks as a part of my raw dog food meal prep.

[@pattycake57]

Very informative and I always enjoy watching your procedures and learning processes!

[@michaelzimmet4261]

Super educational video. Thanks for sharing!

[@ryanchapman7904]

Very interesting I have ducks but never processed any very informative thank you

[@Lutfia6940]

Thanks very much for sharing, amazing.

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

Thanks for watching!

[@Cronrath64]

How much did it cost to start ?

[@camwhitman5425]

Wonderful video. I’m curious to know more about how the plucking machine works. More details of the functionality would be nice. I imagine it wouldn’t be difficult to do paraffin in a boiler at home in a smaller operation for just a few ducks at a time. Thank you for sharing this.

[@CyberSystemOverload]

Really nice video, well presented. As a city person I'm so isolated from all this. I want to know how it's done, thank you for great video!

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jimbow1113]

I have just discovered your channel and subscribed we are in Philippines and breeding a few chickens and a few ducks but we want to do it as an industry and employ locals. We are preparing for a downturn and you are helping people ... thank you salamat po

[@Shyshytown78]

AWESOME video! I learned so much!

[@freshlysqueezed808]

i love communities like this very awesome!

[@JojoCrazyCat]

11:50 Did anybody else notice the bird nest in the video with a bird in it. And the loud chirping it was making. It is in between the 2 electric boxes behind Mike.

[@munenex]

Wow. It is so clear that I thought the bird was in the tree outside my house.

[@jenniferrescott1149]

Interesting.. Info for duck process.. Wow. Shane is a very busy guy..

[@thedrunkenredneck4898]

Do you add water to the wax pot? How many bricks of wax do I need? Sorry, I'm having a lot of trouble with duck feathers and need help.

[@TheUltimateAcres]

Very insightful. Thank you for sharing.

[@the2012fad]

Thanks, dude. Very VERY helpful!

[@melloneemcdonald3767]

I thought you said he was growing weed, Then I listened again and it was wheat. LMAO love the video

[@CrochetwithClare]

I was searching the comments to see it I heard Mike correct haha. I hear weed too!

[@MikeTheFitFarmer]

😂😂😂😂He is growing WHEAT!! lol

[@CrochetwithClare]

@@MikeTheFitFarmer hahahaha of thank goodness !

[@karlosvulture7707]

Thanks for the video... very informative......

[@Mr.G_7785]

Very informative. Thanks for the video.