Today, breeders replicate the duck's natural ability to gorge before migrations.
After 12 weeks of breeding, farmed ducks enter the fattening stage. Each ration is given at set times two times a day. At Rougié farms, the fattening process lasts 10 to 12 days.
They are fed with 100% grain (corn), minerals and vitamins. Fattening consists of filling the crop without reaching the digestive system, which, in ducks starts at the gizzard and not at the beak. |
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All stress factors are reduced to a minimum for better results: on small family run farms, highly trained farmers use a smooth feeding tube and stroke the length of the neck to
help the food reach the crop. The waterfowls’ oesophagus is naturally lined and hard, which makes this process a painless experience. The food is then ground by the gizzard and released into the stomach
The fattening of the liver, also known as steatosis, is reversible: livers return to their original size if the fattening is stopped. |
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Whether as meat or in the form of foie gras, gastronomic products made from fattened ducks contain unsuspected benefits, such as considerable quantities of unsaturated fatty acids.
These unsaturated fatty acids protect the cardiovascular system and generate substances such as Omega-3.
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Duck Fat |
Olive Oil |
Butter |
| Saturated fatty acids |
27% |
17% |
52% |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids |
57% |
65% |
23% |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids |
12% |
13% |
2% |
The composition of duck fat is quite similar to that of olive oil. No wonder foie gras aficionados benefit from the “French paradox”! |
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