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Waterfowl plucking...

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04 October 2011, 23:23
kayaker
Waterfowl plucking...
How do you do it?

Dry, scald, hot watre and dish soap, wax method etc?
Or perhaps you just breast the birds out?


http://orionmind.blogspot.com/
05 October 2011, 01:53
500N
Depends on number of birds, type of birds

If only a few / in a small group, dry pluck or breast if certain species. I still like the feathers and my fingers to be wet as it is easier to get the feathers out.

If in a large group, some have electric pluckers, some set up wax tubs.

I sometimes think the wax tub more effort than it's worth but that is MO only.

.
05 October 2011, 07:44
kayaker
Yeah, dry works better for me than most people say it does for them. I have yet to try the wax method. It sounds good but a lot of work too!


http://orionmind.blogspot.com/
05 October 2011, 08:58
Patricio Gaudiano
you call the bird boys over and say "necesito que me pelen unos patos por favor" then you give them however many you need plucked......
05 October 2011, 09:47
N E 450 No2
I had a few guys bring me over 20 or so ducks one time, as they knew I like to eat them.
I always save the breast, the legs and thighs and the hearts livers and gizzards.

The ducks were in a cooler on icde with a fair amount of water, so the ducks were wet.

As I was cleaning them in the house I discovered that the wet feathers as I plucked them off did not make near as big as a mess as "dry" ducks do...

So a while later when I had to clean a few mountain grouse, I save the whole grouse, like a chicken as well as the heart, livers and gizzards, I "dipped" them pretty good in water before I plucked them.

Seems to make a lot less of a mess...


DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY
05 October 2011, 10:00
500N
Re "wet", yes, the wetness does keep the mess a bit smaller.

Also make the feathers drop to the ground instead of floating all over the place.

You can imagine what the ground looked like after 1000 ducks had been plucked over 2 days. Quite a sight.

.
07 October 2011, 10:10
KT29
If I have the yen for say, a nice baked mallard, I'll go ahead and remove the feathers. My preferred method is to remove the rough feathers than wax the down. Not really that much work. Smiler
07 October 2011, 10:21
500N
I find a WET palm / fingers rubbed along the body works well for the down.

.
08 October 2011, 13:09
mete
If it's warm I just skin them as I like to process them quickly to avoid spoilage !