[moonwolf]

We'll, now I can get more serious with the duck and
chicken plucking duties . My plucking (homemade) machine
Was out of commission all year until I grabbed the bull by
the horns and reconditioned it to work now .
Luckily I only had about 20 chickens this season to
process manually. Now I can go at warp speed to finish
The rest of this seasons birds saving time and finishing
the carcasses to perfection for freezer camp. I got about
50 more to go, mostly large ducks and black roosters.
Ever tried to hand pluck a black feathered chicken to
get a clean carcass ? It takes a while. The plucker makes
child's ply of the job.

 

[FakeMountainMan]

I'm really wanting to make one myself. I have a nonworking washer that I wonder if it might have most of the parts I need.

 

[Wendy]

I am in negotiations with our local ag teacher. I have the plans & will get the parts & he is going to have his kids make it for me in ag class. They are always looking for projects throughout the year. I usually process 100 each year, but if I get an automatic plucker I might do more.

 

[carolb5]

We built the Whizbang chicken plucker. Two birds were naked in 15 seconds. It only will get a hundred or so birds a year, but who cares. It is a great tool and will last forever.
Carol

 

[newfieannie]

that would be a good thing to have. I still do mine the way dad did. pluck them by hand .then do what we called swingeing with a hot poker.

many years ago my first husband brought me home ,from one of his trips, what he said was a chicken plucker. I thought that would be great. couple days later I killed some chickens and decided to use it. he came out while I was at it and asked me what I was doing. I said "I'm trying to figure out how to get this chicken in this here contraption."after he finished laughing he said" that's not a chicken plucker that's a paint brush cleaner" I was so naïve in those days. ~Georgia.

 

[FakeMountainMan]

I took that washer apart a bit today, and I think it will make a fine plucker. it's a GE high efficiency washer that doesn't agitate properly, I think it needs a new transmission. But boy can that thing spin. I'm going to order me some rubber fingers and hopefully be plucking in a week or two.

 

[aart]

I took that washer apart a bit today, and I think it will make a fine plucker. it's a GE high efficiency washer that doesn't agitate properly, I think it needs a new transmission. But boy can that thing spin. I'm going to order me some rubber fingers and hopefully be plucking in a week or two.

I've read that the spin cycle on a washer is way too fast for a plucker...needs to be geared down or it'll tear your birds up. Do some searching here and on BYC about homemade pluckers.

 

[FakeMountainMan]

I do need to figure it out. This washer has more electronics than the space shuttle. The spin cycle goes through 3 different speeds, the first one looks like it might be appropriate. Second phase is F-3 tornado, then it goes warp 9.