10 Comments

  1. Great post Darren. I will be processing a couple of our Muscovy ducks soon. I am not sure if you can skin a duck. I will need to look into that. Muscovy ducks do not have as much fat as normal ducks, so it might be possible.

    • @Jason: I did see a post on YouTube about skinning a duck, but they just used the duck as a prop to tell you what to do, they didn’t actually show the process. It wasn’t a muscovy, either. I’m sure it’d be possible, though.

      I’m interested to hear how you go!

    • @Christian: It’s not easy the first time, but once you’ve done it a couple of times you’re OK. I don’t look forward to it, but I don’t have a problem doing it now. The rewards (and flavour!) of growing your own are wonderful.

  2. Thanks for the plug! I need to remember to pick off the stewed meat the end of the stock step — I tend to let the cats nibble on the bones, but they’re wasteful and don’t really do it justice. I’m glad to see you’re eating the whole bird!

    • @Anna: No problem! I like your chicken waterers, although I still haven’t got around to setting up my last two. They’re working great in the chicken tractors. To tell the truth, I felt guilty about ‘wasting’ the skin, and couldn’t let the stewed meat go :-). It’ll make some nice burritos or quesidillas tomorrow night.

  3. did you get day olds or have a rooster and do it all yourself. I’m looking for some day old meat chooks and live in Nowra.

    • @Hannah: We have a couple of roosters, so I hatched some fertilised eggs in an incubator. Just recently I had another small batch of eggs hatch under a broody hen, and that’s way easier than an incubator so I’d highly recommend that! To buy meat chicks, try somewhere like the Trading Post. I don’t think there’s much around this area, though.

      Barter and Sons sell day-old meat chicks, and they deliver in NSW. Their prices seem quite reasonable.

      I’d highly recommend getting some Australorps or Barnevelders if you’re able to have roosters where you live. They’re both good for eating and lay well, and you won’t have to keep shelling out money for day-old chicks every time you want to fill the freezer.

  4. Marina

    Hi, My parents have let there chickens breed out of control and are offering roosters and some chooks to anyone that may want them. They live in Dapto and if you wuld like to contact me on 0417217119 I can arrange to have them ready for collection.Cheers Marina

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