D-Day Update

Alright, I didn't get to post an update last night because I was exhausted.  We started processing around 3:30 or maybe 4pm.  First we gave each duck 35ccs of rum.  I'd forgotten that I accidentally drank the cheap vodka we had.  So, the ducks got Captain Morgan for their last drink.
Then, one at a time we selected a duck from the pen strung it upside down from the clothesline and slit the jugular vein.  It was very very windy so we bled them into the tractor bucket to prevent blood from spraying everywhere.  Once they were all dead we began the plucking process.  We dry plucked them to 80-90% clean then dunked them in a huge pot of scalding water with paraffin wax melted in it.  We scalded them for one minute and then dunked them in ice water.  Once the wax hardened so that it was still somewhat pliable but sufficiently cooled we peeled it off.  We did this to help remove the pinfeathers.  It worked out alright.  I'm not sure all the ducks got quite enough wax on them.

After they were sufficiently plucked we put them in a box with some ice water and one at a time I single-handedly dressed them all out.  We had 6 ducks and one rooster.  The rooster we grilled Beer Can Chicken style right away.  Dressing the ducks was a smelly affair.  I am a little embarrassed to admit that I did not keep any of the duck gizzards. I kept the chicken gizzard.  I love to eat gizzard but attempting to clean them was just too stinky for me.  I still have that smell stuck in my nose.  I did save the feet, necks, hearts, and livers.  I averaged about 20 minutes per bird.  This included removing the wing tips, feet, and heads.  I won't be setting any world records but I don't think it was too bad for a start.

Once they were all dressed out I was just too tired to even think about vacuum packing them so I bagged them up and put them in the fridge and called it a night.
Today I was very sore.  My feet, legs, back, and hands are all just screaming in pain..  I feel like I ran a marathon yesterday. 
Today I made some homegrown spaghetti sauce to freeze.  Everything in the sauce with the exception of the garlic, sugar, and lemon juice were homegrown.  All of it was grown in my garden with the exception of the onions.
I also vacuum sealed all my ducks, their giblets, feet, and some raspberries from earlier this summer.  I've never used a vacuum sealer before.  That thing is GREAT!

Beer Can Chicken:
1 Chicken
For the rub:
Smoked Paprika
Kosher Salt
Garlic powder

For the beer can:
1 can of beer (drink it down to about half full)
several sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil
3 garlic cloves

Rub the chicken with the salt, paprika, and garlic powder until it's nicely covered and a pretty red color.  Cram the herbs and the garlic into the beer can (I don't even peel the garlic sometimes I have to cut it in half to get it in the can).  Set the chicken on top of the beer can so the can is up inside the body cavity and acts as a sort of stand to hold the chicken up right.  Grill on low for an hour or until cooked through.

And here are some photos of the ducks.

One Day Old

First day outside

Exploring the duck garden

Taking a swim