On October 26th the abattoir processed 6 coloured Muscovy ducks as an experiment and staff training exercise. Our cones were a suitable size and the scalding and plucking was accomplished without any damage to the skin. A lot more hand picking was needed to remove the small feathers from the breast. We did not attempt to remove all feathers from the legs.
Other abattoirs have said that ducks take 4 times as long as chickens. We found that it took even longer and did not give a very satisfactory appearance. The recommended method for removing duck or goose down is to immerse the carcass in hot wax then dip it in cold water. When the solidified wax is peeled off the down is pulled off with it. The wax can be filtered and reused. We plan to try this soon.
If you urgently need waterfowl processed please make your request through the online booking system and we will give you a price, based on the quality of carcass desired and your availability as a volunteer to help with plucking.