Duck meat popularity has been growing in the United States and is not slowing down. This means that more poultry keepers can capitalize on this expanding market. In other words, you don’t have to stop at the big, creamy eggs that ducks lay.
But, what duck breeds should you keep if you want them for their meat?
This article can help you!
We have found that some specific duck breeds offer certain advantages when it comes to their meat. For instance, some breeds have more meat than others, while others provide better flavors and less grease.
Pro tip? It is also best to choose ‘heavyweight’ duck breeds if you’re raising these birds for meat.
That said, here are our top duck breed recommendations for meat seekers.
7 Best Meat Duck Breeds
Here is our compilation of the best duck breeds to raise in your homestead if you want an ample supply of duck meat:
1) Pekin duck
Pekin ducks are arguably the most popular meat duck breed in the US because of their weight and how fast they mature.
This heavyweight duck breed reaches maturity very quickly — usually within six weeks! By this time, they typically weigh around six pounds. However, if you wait until week 12, you’ll most likely have a Pekin duck that weighs at least 10 pounds.
But, it is not just about how much these ducks weigh.
The dark meat of the American Pekin ducks is also a tasty delicacy that makes its way into several dishes. However, we should also tell you that the meat of the Pekin also has a lot of fat. Thankfully, you can simply repurpose this fat content in other dishes.
Interestingly, Pekin ducks do not only give you good returns on their meat alone. The female ducks can lay up to 300 large eggs in one year. But, there’s a drawback though. These ducks are not good sitters. So, you’ll typically need an incubator if you want to hatch their eggs.
On the bright side, their high-activity lifestyle also makes them exceptional foragers. As a result, during the summer, your Pekin ducks can free-range and come up with up to half of the food they need. This can save you considerable feed costs.
2) Muscovy duck
This is another go-to duck breed for farmers raising duck for meat. But, with the Muscovy duck, you’ll way leaner meat.
Fun fact? Muscovy duck meat contains almost 50% less fat than Pekin ducks and is approximately 99% lean.
This means that this duck breed is an excellent alternative for duck meat lovers who want to eat more healthily.
However, raising Muscovy ducks offers a more significant challenge than their Pekin counterparts.
For one, Muscovy ducks are not very good at foraging. They try, but they almost always come up empty. As a result, you’ll typically need to fulfill all the duties of fulfilling their dietary and nutritional needs. Furthermore, they do not lay many eggs.
On the other hand, they are quiet and provide tasty meat without the fatty consequences. Muscovy ducks can also grow to very sizable proportions.
3) Moulard duck
Many people will argue that the Moulard duck is the second most popular meat duck in the US — after Pekin. This is because Moulard duck meat offers significantly larger cuts and an impressive flavor depth than you’d typically get with other breeds.
Fun fact? The Moulard duck is a sterile breed that comes from mating a Muscovy drake with a Pekin hen.
Moulard meat is generally red and usually very juicy. Also, it has significantly less fat than Pekin duck meat but more fat content than the Muscovy.
4) Aylesbury duck
Another duck breed with impressive meat offerings is the Aylesbury duck. This duck breed is popular in the United Kingdom and has very tender meat with delightful flavors. Unfortunately, the dwindling numbers of Aylesbury ducks mean several regions consider it vulnerable.
Thankfully, Aylesbury ducks grow very fast. At seven weeks, it is not uncommon to see an Aylesbury hen weigh nine pounds while the drakes weigh around 10 pounds. They are also excellent egg layers.
But, there’s another drawback. Aylesbury ducks do not possess applaudable sitting skills — below average, really. Therefore, it may be a reach to call them dual-purpose ducks.
On the bright side, what they lack in sitting, Aylesbury makes up for with their foraging skills. This duck breed can forage for up to two-thirds of its dietary requirements. This, and third delicious meat makes them an excellent choice for meat poultry farmers.
Sadly, there are not a lot of Aylesbury ducks around anymore.
5) Rouen Duck
Rouen ducks are another duck breed that deserves a spot on our list. This duck breed has made its way into several dishes and recipes worldwide, including noodles. Like Pekins, Rouen ducks also produce meat with high-fat content.
Interestingly, many people often mistake Rouen ducks for mallards due to their similar colors. But, the trick is to look out for their size. Rouen ducks are significantly larger than Mallard ducks.
However, it does take quite a while to reach such sizes.
While Pekin ducks can usually reach maturity by the sixth week, Rouen ducks will take at least two more weeks. But, once they do, Rouen drakes typically weigh around 10 pounds while hens can come up to 7 pounds. In other words, their meat is well worth the extra wait.
That said, if you also want a duck breed that can give you eggs, Rouen ducks may not be your ideal choice. They don’t lay many eggs, with many Rouens laying as few as 35 eggs in a year. Also, they are only fairly decent sitters.
However, they are significantly better at foraging and have a very gentle, quiet disposition. They are also excellent exhibition ducks.
But, if your duck grows too large for exhibition purposes, you can simply slaughter it. The taste that Rouen duck meets is hard to beat!
Pro tip? Rouen ducks are perfect for roasting as the meat is very fatty and can provide quite a tasty dish.
6) Saxony duck
The Saxony duck breed is endangered in the US but is more common in Germany, its country of origin. It is quick a shame that the Saxony ducks have dwindling numbers as their heavyweight nature makes them a perfect duck breed for meat.
So, how did the Saxony duck population drop so fast?
Experts believe this happened because other countries were not big fans of German products after the Second World War. This meant that Germany didn’t have a market for most of their local products, including Saxony duck.
On the bright side, breeding Saxony ducks and be quite rewarding as they typically weigh at least 8 pounds at full maturity. They are also excellent foragers and can be very independent.
We should also add that they are dual-purpose ducks, as most Saxony females lay at least 100 eggs every year.
7) Appleyard duck
While Appleyard ducks may not be very high on the popularity list for duck meat, they remain among the most productive duck breeds.
Appleyard ducks grow very fast and reach maturity by the 9th week. At this point, they are basically ready for your tables. This means that once you get a sizeable flock, you should always have some duck meat for your table.
In addition, Appleyard ducks weigh around eight pounds at maturity, which is somewhat impressive.
However, the best part may be that Appleyard ducks are dual-purpose. Female Appleyards can lay up to 250 eggs every year, which means they can get both meat and eggs from them.
Interesting Facts on Raising the Best Meat Duck
The best deal to aim for when raising ducks for meat is to go for dual-purpose duck breeds. In other words, breeds of ducks provide ample meat and lay eggs. This way, you can keep the females for eggs and save the males for the slaughterhouse.
That said, here are some interesting tips you should know regarding meat duck breeding:
- You must provide your ducks with a protein-rich diet to reach their expected butcher weight within the predicted timeframe. This way, you don’t get older ducks who do not reach the desired mass.
- If you leave your meat ducks to roam freely and forage for their food, it is usually best to include supplements in their diet, especially protein supplements.
- Free-ranging your meat duck reduces your feeding efforts and expenses and allows them to get the exercise they need for healthy growth and weight gain.
- Always feed your ducklings non-medicated chick starter feed and not medicated options. This is because medicated feed contains constituents that may harm your chicks.
- During the winter, your ducks will typically experience lower success rates while foraging. Therefore, this is a crucial time to increase the protein levels in their supplements to help them remain healthy.
How Does Duck Meat Taste?
If you’ve never tasted duck meat, we can tell you now that you’re in for treat.
But, first, we need to clear the air. Duck meat tastes nothing like chicken, as many people usually think. In fact, duck meat is more similar to red meat in taste than chicken.
In other words, properly cooked duck meat will leave you with a tender taste and flavorful fat.
Pro tip? Duck skin is considerably thicker than a chicken’s and will take longer to cook. Therefore, removing it while preparing the meat may be best, so you don’t have to deal with issues like tough meat later.
When Should Meat Ducks Be Butchered?
As a rule of thumb, most meat ducks will typically be ready for meat collection by the eighth week. However, in some cases, you may need to wait until the tenth week to make sure they achieve full maturity and proper weight levels.
Like chicken, you will need to pluck the feathers off a duck before you can then cut and prepare the meat. Most people soak the duck in hot water to make the feather-plucking process easier and more convenient.
Final Take
Raising duck for meat can be a gratifying endeavor. However, knowing which specific breeds to raise can make your time and efforts even more rewarding.
Hopefully, this article on the best duck breeds for meat points you in the right direction. Also, the tips and facts we share should be able to help you along the way.
Do let us know if you have more questions!
