Raising Ducks for Meat

Raising ducks for meat can be such a rewarding experience and can provide your family with lots of delicious and nutritious meat!  Their quirky personalities, natural pest control, and excellent foraging abilities make ducks both fun and economical to raise.

Why choose ducks?  First and foremost, they are naturally hardy in both hot and cold climates and aren’t susceptible to common poultry diseases, like most chickens are.  This makes for an easier experience in itself.  While ducks can be a little messier in the brooding stages, they tend to be easier as they grow.  Their foraging and pest control skills make their feed bill manageable as well.  Another great benefit to raising meat ducks is the ready-to-use waste.  There is no wait time to use your ducks’ waste as a great fertilizer! 

Jumbo Pekin ducks are the most common choice when it comes to raising them for meat, and they are known as the broilers of the duck world!  Males can reach 11-13+ pounds in just 18 weeks.  Their meat is full of flavor and includes high levels of iron, copper, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin K, making it incredibly nutritious. Duck fat is also a great choice for roasting, frying, and even baking.  

Feeding your ducks properly is essential when it comes to them reaching the proper weight.  While they may get a lot of their nutrition from foraging, a good quality, 20-22% percent waterfowl starter feed is where you want to start.  Once the ducklings reach 3 weeks, you can switch over to a 17-19% waterfowl grower feed.  This can be used until about 2 weeks before butcher, where you can switch over to a waterfowl finisher feed.  If you are not able to find waterfowl feed, make sure to use a Nicain supplement to ensure proper leg health in your ducks. 

When it comes to processing your meat ducks, you will notice the pin feathers are a bit harder to remove than with chickens.  Even with a plucker, you may still end up removing pin feathers by hand.  Some people find it easier to skin their ducks or use the wax method. A mixture of hot water and duck wax is used to dip the roughly plucked bird into, and then the bird is immediately placed into cold water. You want to allow the wax to fully harden before removing it by hand.  This can really help get those pesky pin feathers out! 

Even though they require a little more time and effort during processing, the delicious meal a fresh duck can provide for your family is more than worth it.  The benefits of raising them along the way just add to the enjoyment of the overall experience. Try your hand at raising ducks for meat and let us know what you think!