Raising Ducks for Meat and Eggs | Processing & Making Pate, Broth and Roast Duck

[@vickiwood9192]

When I was growing up, I helped my mother process chickens. We did all the plucking by hand, a tedious job. We never raised ducks so I have no experience at processing them. You certainly used every possible part. Enjoyed watching

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes indeed it is a tedious job - my plucker for chickens works a treat!! Pleased you enjoyed 😊

[@tracysmith5948]

What a great video! Nothing wasted. I am about to put 8 duck eggs into the incubator for the first time.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Ducks are a bit of fun! My first 5 ducks came from the incubator - now the mums take care of it all. Good luck with your hatch and enjoy the future with ducks!!

[@LittleGardenBigDreams]

I love the ducks Linda. I remember Mum and Dad having a flock of them when I was a small kid. I’d love to get a couple eventually, as they are great for eating the snails 🐌 Thanks for showing how you process them xx Cathi xx 😘

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Ducks are great (although a little frustrating at times haha). You will have to get some - such personalities!! Thanks for watching Cathi - have a great week xx

[@deborahlee8135]

Oh that was fabulously informative and lots to think about in regards to housing etc. I love that the KCs come when called😂😂😂 i'm tempted to just buy some livers and make some paté as well. Thanks Linda 😊

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The pate is delicious!! Definitely do housing properly from the start and make it much bigger than you think you’ll need 👍

[@selwynnewson851]

Garden shears for the bones

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Great idea - thanks!! 😊

[@dalepres1]

How can you not have 100K subscribers? This a great video on duck raising for all kinds of uses. Thank you!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Oh thanks for the vote of confidence. I think permaculture, with its varied content (which my videos are), doesn't work well with the algorithm - it just can't work out what I'm about. So - slowly, slowly and feel free to share the video of course! Thanks so much for watching!

[@matteusrhys4910]

This is an brilliant video, love the detail and the use of all parts of the duck!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you - so pleased you enjoyed it!

[@rubygray7749]

You read my mind! I was hoping to see more of your ducks. I am currently duckless, but may get more soon. We don't have foxes here, but devils and quolls, also eagles, have been problematic in the past. Cleaning out their soggy pens is a backbreaking chore! Though one with benefits. Using hay for bedding makes life very hard. It is long, heavy and packs together. Straw is better by far. Shorter, fluffier and shiny. Much easier to fork out when wet. I can buy large round bales of old, weathered straw from a local farmer for $20. That's about 300 kg of straw. The outside will usually be wet and halfway to compost already, great mulch for the garden. But inside is still lovely bright golden loose straw for bedding. One bale would last you a very long time! It also has no weed seeds, and the ducks would eat the odd grains remaining in the straw.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I avoid straw as I have to buy from rural supplies place and I can’t guarantee that it’s not sprayed with glyphosate or some other chemical. Hay is my safer option! There’s always something wanting to eat our birds!!

[@rubygray7749]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture I'm sure the foxes complain about you eating all their ducks!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@rubygray7749 🤣

[@kellysmyth2337]

I had chickens in B.C, Canada. Eagles would sit on fence posts and stare at chickens but never tried to eat them

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@kellysmyth2337 my neighbour has had eagles take her chickens so I’m very wary of them - nice they only sat & watched yours 😊

[@clairefarnell9489]

What a wonderful video. Very calming. I sit here, on my farm, sipping coffee by the wood stove. Snowed a bit last night but spring is coming up here in Alberta,Canada... We have sheep,cattle,goats,chickens,geese,turkeys and guinea. We were thinking of getting ducks and now we def will. Thank you❤

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Wow you already have an impressive list of poultry - I’m sure ducks will fit perfectly into your farm! Sipping coffee by a fire - we’re not quite there yet but I also love that time of year! Enjoy the spring when it arrives and thanks for watching 😊

[@Shonna.C]

Thank you! I have 🐔 and 🦆. We just processed some chickens for the 1st time. From watching how you used your duck, I've seen we could have made broth with what we threw away. Thank you for your video. It was very helpful. We still have more to process, so we will make stock next time!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The duck broth is amazing & so is the duck fat!! Make the chicken broth too but when you get around to processing some ducks the broth & fat are a must!! Thanks Shonna!

[@fabrijohanna]

You have a lovely life Linda! Congrats ! 🥰

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Johanna 😊

[@littlefarmer1303]

This morning I made the first ever duck liver pate in my life, thank you so much for the recipe idea. I used chicken broth in it instead of alcohol, and no thyme, as I had none. And it is still absolutely delicious. Sealed the top with some ghee. We raise our ducks too, Muscovy, Indian Runner and Black East Indian. They are all amazing breeds. It is interesting to see that ducks are the bosses over other birds, as we raise chickens, turkeys and Guinea fowls too. Definitely ducks are the bosses. And turkeys are the frieliest and most curious in our experience.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

So pleased that you loved the duck liver pate- simple food made from simple ingredients (whatever you have on hand) and it’s delicious. Ducks are amazing. And very entertaining too haha!

[@code_fu552]

The best kitchen shears I've used for processing poultry is Cutco's shears. They advertise that you can cut a penny with it. Tried it myself and was able to cut one in half lol

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

They sound amazing - will have to check them out!!

[@countrymousesfarmhouse497]

Just this morning weve been going over our discussion and planning to get ducks here . We had khakis but mostly Muscovy for years and haven't gotten ourselves set up for them here yet . We have a lot of dingo , fox and roaming dog pressure but thankfully our dogs seem to be keeping them off our property for the most part. I really miss their sweet chatter ❤ yes, we found they get very particular about who is caring for them and even the time of day . Lol. What a shame that electric plucker didn't wirk better. I hope either your missing ducks are back or mr. Fox took a long walk in the other direction. Thank you for sharing your process, lovely ❤❤

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Since starting to film that video I took 2 and the fox got 4 - including one of my originals (always considered a pet). Oh well - that’s how it goes!! They are nice to have around - thanks for watching 😊

[@osirisecoscape8929]

Lovely farm life. We have ducks too and we do dispatch them on special occasions. Delicious!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

They are delicious! Thanks for watching 😊

[@luzespejo123]

Life is full of happiness. Love it 😍. Thanks for sharing.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes joy can be found everywhere!!

[@joannewolfe5688]

I raised ducks as a child. And Oh! that roast duck! Still my favourite dinner.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Roast duck, duck broth, duck fat - all seriously delicious!!

[@ArtWithMari]

Really enjoyed this video! Very informative and claming to watch. Thanks!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikedevere]

Very interesting video, thanks. When we were children, my father always told us to avoid putting meat into the compost to avoid rats. Don't you have any problems with this?

[@ElDuardo01]

So many techniques, very nice video! Thank you very much from Uruguay!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you so much! And thanks for watching 😊

[@Brooke-bu6tz]

Brilliant video. Thankyou so much for sharing this with us.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you!

[@nellieblighhill4575]

A very good video. One concern however I did have when watching the duck processing, was having grown up on a farm myself and having had our own for the past 20 years, we never left the innards inside the duck for even an hour after the creature was killed. The reason being every creature has a host of bacteria in the gut and when killed, that bacteria goes into overdrive and begins to multiply as the creatures immune system dies with them. It is better to gut the creature immediately and gather the saved offal seperating it, ready for processing. Refrigerate all overnight then joint and sort /package for the freezer next day. The refrigerated resting overnight allows the chemicals in the creature that made them stiff (rigor mortice) to dissipate and the flesh softens and the meat is more tender.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks I understand the concern! I certainly process chicken asap. The only reason I was confident to do it this way, was I was confident in the source of the information. Brandon Sheard is an on farm butcher who teaches people butchery and I’ve watched a number of videos featuring him. So far I’ve had no issues processing this way and it is great to save the delicious duck fat. We all have to make up our own minds what’s safe or not & I can understand you being hesitant with this method! Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts!

[@CHASRIZM]

Can you use the wax method to help with plucking ducks? Like where you put paraffin wax on them and let it dry and pull it off and it brings the feathers with it.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes quite a few people have mentioned that - I haven’t tried it as yet but plan to soon!

[@melanieoberting4616]

Fascinating. I have Muscovies and a few mallard varieties 8 total ducks. Did I hear u say Wales? If u ever want to come to Napa CA USA, please stay w us!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Melanie - I'm from Victoria Australia actually. Would love to stay with you however getting any time away from the fun of the farm is difficult! Thanks for watching

[@thraciangrapes]

Hello, I grew up on a farm in USA. My family are Irish. We have relatives in Australia my grandfather's cousins who have large sheep stations there.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I wish I'd grown up on a farm but at least I've made it to a small 5 acre one now. Have you ever visited the sheep station - that would be pretty awesome. My grandfathers brother married an American so I have distant American cousins!! Thanks for watching!!

[@mustapha-47]

a great video! Nothing wasted.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bornfreeprepperthailand]

Nice info thanks. I just got 6 duckling today for my off grid homestead in Thailand 🇹🇭. How do you stop them flying away if you let them out? Thank you I think I need to buy more 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Congratulations on your new duck family! You can’t stop them flying away but you can give them incentive to stay by keeping them well fed!! You don’t need more - mine just keep multiplying themselves- I’m always on the hunt for eggs (the muscovy’s hide them) to stop too many ducklings 🐥

[@Kristina-lx9bm]

Thank you very much for making this video. You are a boss! ❤

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Haha thanks 😊

[@AidenGoldey]

Awesome video love the farm to table idea

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Aidan pleased you enjoyed it!!

[@HelenEk7]

Love the video! You just got yourself a new subscriber. And I had no idea duck meat is that dark! I prefer dark meat so that is a big plus.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Hi Helen and welcome!! Yes the meat is quite dark. I'm still perfecting cooking it but the flavour is delicious and the wonderful duck fat would make the harvest worth it just for that!! Thanks for watching 😊

[@MartinaSchoppe]

oh, great, now I'm hungry 🤤 There are special shears for poultry, might be worthwhile getting one if you harvest chickens and ducks on a regular basis. Otherwise I think, good (and new) secateurs should do the trick.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I did have secateurs for this but they snuck into the garden - will have to get more!

[@MartinaSchoppe]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture sneaky secateurs!!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@MartinaSchoppe 😆

[@grandmothergoose]

Pluck dry fowl wet and waterfowl dry. Scalding and plucking machines don't really work for waterfowl. Best to just take your time plucking them by hand. Plucking is the main reason why they're not commercially as available as chickens. Plucking is not something quick and easy to do in very large industrial scale numbers.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks for sharing your experience with duck plucking. Will have to give it a go dry next time & see. Thank you!!

[@robertrazvan3527]

Is the puddle of water necessary for raising ducks ?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Ducks do need some water - not necessarily a swimming sized pool. When I first started with ducks I had a plastic kiddie pool - they loved it. They need a large enough container of water to swish their beaks around in - it's part of how they process their food so quite important.

[@robertrazvan3527]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture it goes exactly the same for geese ?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@robertrazvan3527 I don’t have geese so not sure!

[@robertrazvan3527]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture i would love to help you there with your work linda

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@robertrazvan3527 oh thanks Robert - if I’m looking for a hand I’ll know who to ask 😊

[@mrzoukdotcomzouklambadaboo8212]

You can also puree or put in a blender the bones once cooked for broth n feed them back to the ducks.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Wow - never through of that - mind you I always give all of that stuff to my chickens so some form of poultry has been getting it (not blended though!!)

[@rolandsharp]

invaluable information. thank you

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching 😊

[@Ammzie]

Dry pluck the ducks in the machine for double the time you do chickens. They have harder skin so they can withstand more time. You can then use a wax to get all the fine feathers out easier. Literally saves hours

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

By dry plucking you mean no scalding first?? The wax idea sounds great!

[@Ammzie]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture no you still scald them but when they go in the plucker run it for double the amount as chickens and don’t run any water through it as it goes. You can rinse the feathers off the machine between each use if it’s getting full

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@Ammzie ok thanks - I’ll give that a try!

[@davidb9059]

Ty, i did enjoy your fantastic video.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks so much for watching 😊

[@mrzoukdotcomzouklambadaboo8212]

You can clean out your utensils using old bread, oily frying pans etc. then feed that to tye ducks too. And you have less fat down the sink.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Great idea - thanks for sharing!!

[@qualityquail4sale976]

Great info.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks you :)

[@gladmorespace2163]

this is lovely

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you 😊

[@wowjassun]

Roasting the duck parts a bit under a broiler before going into the stock pot wpuld be a solid improvement. Butchering was solid.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks for the suggestion

[@rubygray7749]

It would be interesting to know more about how you feed them! I recently bought eleven pekin ducklings, which are growing at a phenomenal rate, but they and the many chicks that hatched this year are trying to bankrupt me! The price of chicken feed is no longer just chicken feed.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I just use organic chicken feed - costs a fortune. I don't feed them too much - if I do they sit around all day and don't bother catching frogs and snail and slugs and whatever else is out there!

[@Rectify21]

0:38 T-Rex coming out to feed

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Haha! He is a big boy!!

[@rubygray7749]

A squirt of dish detergent or a spoonful of washing soda in the duck dunking water will deal with their waterproof feathers!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Will have to give that a go!! Thanks

[@Shonna.C]

Dawn dish detergent? Washing soda?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Washing soda is sodium carbonate (not sodium bicarbonate which is more common). You can make it from sod bicarbonate. It has different applications - have a look online if you are interested. I haven’t tried it for the duck feathers as yet but will try it soon! Dawn is just a brand of dishwashing liquid here in Australia

[@destrylefebre2047]

Why do you put the ducks in the fridge before you got them and not put them in the fridge after you got them?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

It allows time for the fat to harden and there’s less chance of losing it in the gutting process. Can’t waste any of this delicious duck fat!! Thanks for watching 😊

[@Ashiz_World]

well-done

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you

[@mrzoukdotcomzouklambadaboo8212]

Oh and boiling and blending the feathers the ducks will eat also.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Who would have thought!!

[@DavidVanpatten-t1j]

Muscovy is a tasty breed

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

It sure is! Especially the fat!

[@leilahestevez3543]

Lindos patos

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

😊

[@wardrobelion]

I've found that I can remove permanent marker (Sharpy) from my lids and bags by wiping it with alcohol 👍

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Haha thank you!! Yes I just keep over the top - might have a big clean up 👍

[@MetalWoodpecker]

My dad and I and his friends, we would use wax to de feather when I was a kid.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

A few people have suggested waxing - will have to try it soon! Thanks Sarah!!

[@Bernie5172]

A Fox got 30 of our Xmas ducks in abt 1978. mum was just about to dress them for dinner

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

That’s a lot of ducks for dinner! Those foxes certainly know how to ruin things!! The fox got another two before I finished editing that video 😟

[@FcoElizalde]

Do they require vaccines?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

No I’ve vaccinated any of them!

[@spaalqutsi]

I lost so many ducks to coyote this year

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Very upsetting!! I’ve lost quite a few ducks to foxes!

[@mobileplayers5008]

Ducks are quiet than chicken

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

They all make their own sounds. The khaki Campbell ducks (the brown ones) are quite loud at times and sound like they are having a good laugh. The Muscovy ducks do a lot of hissing at each other that at times can be loud. So they are not exactly quiet!! Thanks for watching!

[@JamesEriksen-od8ns]

wax the ducks it works great

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks a James - will have to give that a go 👍👍

[@sunshinejenny777]

I love your video! Why are you talking so very fast though???????

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Sorry but that’s just how I speak. If the accent makes it difficult to understand me perhaps play my videos on a slower speed - may help!?? Thanks for watching!!

[@toneandersen2944]

Ducks should plucked with wax. They have thin hairs that needs to come out.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yeah waxing them is a great idea!!