I steam my water fowl, prior to plucking them. This makes the removal of outside guard feathers an easy task while leaving the down dry.
This is done by placing a very large pot about 1/2 full of water on to boil. Drap burlap over the pot and secure it to the handles. Be careful not to get the burlap wet. Then place the bird on the burlap allowing it to rest on the burlap, yet never really letting go of the bird. Steam one area for a few minutes, check if feathers are loose, if so move to new area, if not resteam. Continue, steaming, checking, resteaming until all feathers are easy to remove with light pull. The wings and tail will need the most steam, breast and back area much less. Careful not to over steam or sick will rip out with down.
