Backyard poultry: best way to kill ducks?

Cat Melodeon

We keep a few ducks, mostly for eggs. We got a couple for fattening this year but have never slaughtered anything before. We're a bit nervous - have no issues with the gore, are happy murdering for meat - but don't want to cause any unnecessary trauma to the ducks or to ourselves.

Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed? Ideally we'd like someone to demonstrate with the first duck and supervise our first attempt, but we've asked around and no one we know has any experience of killing poultry, bar the hunters but their birds are usually dead before they hit the ground. We could approach a butcher, but we're not friendly with any and they might find it a bit of a weird request. We're near Thurles, if anyone has any ideas for us.

jap gt

i used to kill all my broilers by putting them head down, a handle of a brush over the back of the neck then i stand on the handle a foot either side of the birds head, then catch the legs and give a quick pull up

Dont pull too hard though as the head will come off, i never killed a duck this way but it should be the same

edit found this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UahVDgXszyM

wonderfulname

Wring their necks.

This gives a good description

Cat Melodeon

Thanks lads, good links.

Do ye think is worth trying to find someone to show us how to do it or should we just go for it? I'm just afraid I'll wuss out half way through and have a classic half-headless-chicken-type moment and feel so guilty that I won't be able to enjoy the crispy duck with plum sauce meal I have planned.

wonderfulname

If you know a local farmer or something, I only know by watching my grandad do it when I was a kid. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it myself as I know well I'd take far too long until I got the hang of it properly or was guided through it, I'd pity the animal if it were drawn out.

jap gt

only way to learn is to do it hands on yourself, its over very quick for the bird, if you get a few done it will be no bother to you

Cat Melodeon

I'm beginning to think I'll try your way jap gt. It looks very simple. I'll ask a few more folks and then see.

jap gt

No one showed me to do it, the good thing about it is it doesnt take much pressure to break the neck, and if worse comes to worse you pull too hard the head comes off and the birds dead anyway

best of luck with it

Dusty87

Cat Melodeon wrote: »

I'm beginning to think I'll try your way jap gt. It looks very simple. I'll ask a few more folks and then see.

its the best way i think. Beware of a bit of flapping from the nerves though. its just nerves

whelan1

is a duck harder to kill than a turkey?

jap gt

whelan1 wrote: »

is a duck harder to kill than a turkey?

never killed a duck i have only shot them, but a turkey is hard enough to kill last year i hung them them from a loader and rung their necks, i tie a sack around them though to stop them flapping and breaking a wing, you could cut their troat aswell but its messy when plucking