One of my more humorous but valid musings was why I wasn't keeping ducks at the pond from my videos as a livestock option. I myself absolutely love duck and get excited whenever I eat it. I saw the other day that a local farmer is selling them now at the auction near the veterans' legion for six bucks a pop, chicks for 3 each. I asked him about raising them and he was all into ducks instead of chickens. Ducks are less temperamental acting and less flighty usually than chickens, MUCH slower, less hazardous to each other and they tend to be much quieter too. If you don't have the coop built they can be kept in a fenced off area with some water to swim in like my pond out back. They tend to be more like pets and will even follow you around like dogs I am told. They produce eggs like chickens, which the farmer tells me are just like chicken eggs. Duck is a little different to cook than chicken but not much. It's very high in fat content, almost to the point of being like pork, but has different meat areas on it and is all dark meat. I would imagine a good flock of ducks would be similar to a coop full of chickens but easier to keep given a fenced off area with regular wing clippings. Perhaps even a pond like mine considering most of the domestic ducks I have seen will live at that that pond till they die. My geese did that.
Here's what I did with the one I bought yesterday, they take a bit of getting used to a different preparation but it cooks mostly like a chicken. It is very rich so it pairs well with sweet and dark flavors like wine or jelly based sauces.
Here's what I did with the one I bought yesterday, they take a bit of getting used to a different preparation but it cooks mostly like a chicken. It is very rich so it pairs well with sweet and dark flavors like wine or jelly based sauces.