Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-02-12
PICKING DUCKS.
A Nebraska Lady Tells How She
Does the Trick Successfully.

A Nebraska Lady Tells How She
Does the Trick Successfully.
Though experience may be the best
teacher, most of us are perfectly will
ing for the other fellow to learn of him
while we attend some easier school,
But if, as in our case, experience was
the only teacher available it is only
fair to give others the benefit of our
schooling, especially as this is a sub
ject of which little is written, says
Mrs. Jessie 7. Babcock of North Loup,
Neb., in Reliable Poultry Journal.
Young ducks may be picked when
fully feathered. They can be picked
about once a month as a rule, though
some seasons our ducks made us wait
six weeks for their feathers to mature.
First drive the ducks into a small
pen or house where they can be easily
caught About the handiest article to
have around is lively boy who can
bring you q fresh duck and carry off
your picked one as fast as necessary.
Then settle yourself in a corner of the
hennouse where the wind does not
blow, with big apron, chair and a
good sized box or keg for your feathers
at your right and a smaller one for
your down if you keep them separate.
Now you are ready for your ducks, if
they are ready for you. To ascertain
that pull out few of the small feath
ers from different parts of the body.
If the end of the stem is fine pointed
and hard, with no liquid matter oozing
out, the feathers are ripe" and will
soon fall out of their own accord, but
if the end is filled with a colorless or
bloody matter the ducks may go in
peace for another week or two.
When the duck is ready, lay it across
your lap, tuck its head under your left
arm, holding it firmly with your elbow,
and grasp both feet in your left hand.
If your duck is goose, you had better
draw a stocking over its head and neck
that is, if you have any feeling in
your arms and side. Take only few
feathers at time and give quick
jerk upward toward the head, except
that around the tail the feathers may
pull handler the other way. Be careful
if your duck is young that you do not
tear the skin. After picking the breast
turn it on its back; then turn it end for
end and, holding its neck in your hand
and it's feet under your arm, pick its
shoulders and neck. All the small feath-
ers on the breast and legs. around the
+os n,+xrr 1,o hoa 1r fh.al
shoulders and neck may be picked. I'm
der the wings are some downy feathers,
but there is also clump of longer ones
which must not be touched. There are
also other long, coarse feathers on the
wings, middle of the back, sides and
tail which should never be picked.
These directions apply to geese as
well as to ducks. except that geese are
larger and more powerful and require
stronger hand.
In very cold weather we do not pick
the down. or at most only part. 1t seems
too cruel Sometimes there seem to be
two layers, the new down coming in be-
fore the old drops out. In that case we
pick only the old
But if you want to dress a duck to
eat or for market then is where the fun
begins. | have known a woman to
spend four or five hours on one duck.
Take your duck, if possible, just as the
feathers are getting ripe, before the pin
feathers start. Have everything all
ready for the picking. AS soon as it is
killed, while still warm and bleeding,
hang it up by the feet over a pail or lay
it across the lap. holding the neck firm
ly against a box or solid object; then
quickly strip off the bulk of the feath-
ers and down. Then. commencing again
with one leg and then the other and
then the body, pick it the second time,
but this time pick it absolutely clean
as you go, grasping very small
amount of feathers and down at time
and catching them very close to the
skin in such way as to almost rub
them off at the same time that you pull
them. If not finished before the body
gets cold, the remaining portion can be
scalded as one would scald a chicken,
but if scalded at the beginning the
thick down will prevent the hot water