Re: backyard ducks

In article <7IKdnTTW9dd36bDZRVn-rQ@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Jacob Johnston" <aracauna@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Aren't muscovies a bit gamey supposedly?

HELL no! <g>
In fact they taste a bit like veal...
I have eaten muscovies that I have raised and IMHO the meat is superior.

Plus they are much larger and cleaning ducks is a lot of work, so it
makes it more worth the effort.

I've never eaten one and I'm
perfectly fine eating wild game, so I don't think it'd both me, but I think
some people have an aversion to gamey meat (actually, I'm not even sure what
is meant by gamey flavor, but I know people who complain about it.)

Musty, kinda sage-like.
It somewhat depends on what the animal was fed and how young it's
processed. Grain fed muscovie is pure ambrosia.


Muscovies are quiet though. All they can do is hiss or wheeze. My
grandfather loved them, but lots of people think the red mole-like growth on
their face is ugly.

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. <G>
They look a bit odd but they do grow on you.


Actually, I've got a related question abou the runner ducks. Do these ducks
swim much? Most photos I've seen of them are them penned like chickens or
walking along some fenceline. I've never actually seen a photo of one in the
water. Actually, the odd placement of their legs may make swimming a little
less natural for them, but I don't know.

Jacob

Runners swim just fine and are every bit as much messy little water hogs
as mallards and pekins.

That is probably the number one reason I prefer 'scovies. They do not
make anywhere near the mess other breeds do, even as ducklings.

I've cared for 5 breeds. Muscovies, mallards, Runners, pekins and I
can't remember the 5th right now, but it's a black duck that lays eggs
with a dark grayish or black coating on the shell. Ah! Cayuga.... ;-)

Cayugas are pretty and one of the larger breeds, but lousy layers.

Mallards are small. loud and messy but are very good layers of pale
green shelled egg coveted by egg artists. You can easily get $.75 per
clean blown shell on ebay.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
.

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