Raising Ducks for Meat

Raising ducks for meat is similar to raising chickens. The biggest difference is the level of difficulty in processing ducks. Here are a few considerations for raising your own meat ducks.

Breeds

The most popular duck breed for meat is the Jumbo Pekin. This breed grows to an average live weight of 12 pounds in about 18 weeks if fed properly with a high-protein feed. There are several other breeds that are suitable for producing meat as well; they generally will grow at a much slower rate than the Jumbo Pekin but do not require the higher-protein feed to support rapid growth. Keep in mind that the Jumbo Pekin is a hybrid that is developed from two different Pekin lines to produce very large males. This hybrid is not recommended for exhibition but is excellent for meat production.

Feeding Meat Ducks

For the first 4 weeks, feed new ducklings intended for meat an unmedicated starter feed with 24-27% protein. After the first 4 weeks, you may switch to a 20-22% protein grower/finisher feed until the desired weight is reached. Ducks that are not fed a higher protein starter feed will not gain weight as efficiently. On average, for every 3 pounds of feed consumed, a meat duck will gain 1 pound of body weight.

Processing Meat Ducks

The significant difference between processing chickens and ducks is dealing with the pin feathers that are more prolific on a duck carcass. The pin feathers are immature feathers that have not yet fully grown out. Because these pin feathers still have the protective shaft and are not fully emerged, an automatic poultry plucker with the rubber fingers will typically leave many pin feathers that must be removed by hand. Dealing with pin feathers adds significant time and work to processing ducks. To help in removing pin feathers, you may choose to wax the carcass after scalding and plucking, dry plucking or skinning the carcass instead of plucking.