Happy Quackers on Pasture!
Our new flock of ducks arrived here as day-old ducklings. We kept them happy in a warm poultry brooder for several weeks while their adult feathers were growing in. They are now enjoying a new poultry shed and a large, spacious field designed just for them.
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Our female ducks began laying eggs in March, 2012. We offer fresh duck eggs in 1/2 dozen amounts.
The ducks free-range throughout their large field. We have planted some trees to provide them with extra shade and cover when resting. They enjoy drilling in soft earth for grubs and worms. They also eat tender grass shoots and a variety of insects. Their wide bill is perfect for catching flying insects and they are quite good at doing that! They enjoy special treats of lettuce, fruit, berries, and vegetables cut into small duck-sized pieces. When the weather is not freezing, they have a kiddie pool full of fresh water to splash about in for some good old-fashioned duck fun. The ducks return on their own to the poultry shed at night to sleep where they are safe from predators. Ducks will often lay their eggs during the night. Nest boxes with fresh straw are provided to keep our girls comfortable and happy.
The ducks free-range throughout their large field. We have planted some trees to provide them with extra shade and cover when resting. They enjoy drilling in soft earth for grubs and worms. They also eat tender grass shoots and a variety of insects. Their wide bill is perfect for catching flying insects and they are quite good at doing that! They enjoy special treats of lettuce, fruit, berries, and vegetables cut into small duck-sized pieces. When the weather is not freezing, they have a kiddie pool full of fresh water to splash about in for some good old-fashioned duck fun. The ducks return on their own to the poultry shed at night to sleep where they are safe from predators. Ducks will often lay their eggs during the night. Nest boxes with fresh straw are provided to keep our girls comfortable and happy.
Cooking Basics:
Baking - The yolks of duck eggs are a bit higher in fat than the yolks of chicken
eggs. The whites are higher in protein than chicken eggs. When baking,
the whites of duck eggs will whip up higher making loftier cakes. The
yolks from the duck eggs will give a richer taste to your creation. Duck
eggs can freely be substituted for chicken eggs in most every recipe.
If you are concerned about finely tuning a recipe when substituting duck
eggs, weight can be used to balance the amount of egg added. A large
chicken egg (without shell) weighs on average 1.75 ounce. Use an
equivalent weight of duck egg for a precise conversion.
Hard Cooking (the Julia Child way!) - Hard cooked duck eggs will have a rich taste due to the higher protein content of the white. If you are used to the flavor of the standard grocery store chicken egg, the taste of a duck egg may be a bit surprising. It is important not to overcook a duck egg since the higher protein in the white will become too firm and rubbery. Place your duck eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand for 12 minutes (perhaps a minute less for small eggs). Drain the water off and shake the pan briskly to crack the shells. Cover with cold water (adding some ice cubes will help cool the eggs faster). Once the water is cool they are ready to eat.
Frying - I like to fry duck eggs (or any other egg for that matter) in real butter. Gentle steam frying can also be used to help keep the white tender. To steam fry, fry the eggs briefly and then add a few tablespoons of water. Cover the pan until the egg is cooked through. I usually just fry a duck egg the standard way by just turning the heat down a bit, using my spatula to push the white toward the yolk until the bottom is set. A quick turn for a 10-15 seconds yield the perfect fried duck egg with plenty of rich yolk for mopping with a great bread or toast. Making an omelet is always a good idea. The extra protein in the duck egg white will take a little longer to whip to the frothy stage, but well worth the effort. Always be careful not to overcook.
Hard Cooking (the Julia Child way!) - Hard cooked duck eggs will have a rich taste due to the higher protein content of the white. If you are used to the flavor of the standard grocery store chicken egg, the taste of a duck egg may be a bit surprising. It is important not to overcook a duck egg since the higher protein in the white will become too firm and rubbery. Place your duck eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand for 12 minutes (perhaps a minute less for small eggs). Drain the water off and shake the pan briskly to crack the shells. Cover with cold water (adding some ice cubes will help cool the eggs faster). Once the water is cool they are ready to eat.
Frying - I like to fry duck eggs (or any other egg for that matter) in real butter. Gentle steam frying can also be used to help keep the white tender. To steam fry, fry the eggs briefly and then add a few tablespoons of water. Cover the pan until the egg is cooked through. I usually just fry a duck egg the standard way by just turning the heat down a bit, using my spatula to push the white toward the yolk until the bottom is set. A quick turn for a 10-15 seconds yield the perfect fried duck egg with plenty of rich yolk for mopping with a great bread or toast. Making an omelet is always a good idea. The extra protein in the duck egg white will take a little longer to whip to the frothy stage, but well worth the effort. Always be careful not to overcook.