- Dec 25, 2010
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Below is information that I originally posted on another poultry forum in 2006. I know many links exist between this forum and the original information. Those links and that information has become corrupted, and so I have re-posted this information on this forum for you to use. I hope it is helpful:
I had 14 birds I needed to butcher about 8 weeks ago, and wasnt prepared to pluck them by hand, even with the help of my eager six year old helper.
I was thinking of making a plucker along the lines of the one in Backwoods about a year ago, but didnt have the motor, and while I tried, the only plucker fingers I could find were three hours drive away, and almost three bucks each. So, I invented my own. Total cost - $6.00
I bought a PVC end cap (about $2.00) and drilled a 3/8 hole in the center, and installed a long carriage bolt I already had as the shaft. Then I drilled 3/8 holes all around the outside. I made the fingers out two bungie cords. (rubber straps with S hooks a both ends) I had a bunch around, but wanted to get the softest rubber I could, so I bought two long ones. (about $4.00) I cut the cord into three inch lengths, then cut the edge off both sides of each piece, except for a half an inch at the end. Then I pulled the fingers through the holes in the PVC cap, they couldnt come out because of the half inch bump out at the end. The pictures will explain if the words dont. Then I popped the shaft into my drill and tied the drill to the picnic table with bungie cords. A wire tie abound the trigger held it at a medium speed.
It plucks a scalded bird in about 45 seconds. It wont pull the primary wing and tail feathers, and has trouble with the feathers along the leading edge of the wing, but works amazing for my purposes. I pluck the birds with the plucker, rinse it off and pull out the big feathers by hand. Total time is certainly less then 90 seconds a bird.
Ive posted pictures, and have a thirty second video. The link for the video is below.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7968684598671806901&q=chicken+plucker
Pete
I had 14 birds I needed to butcher about 8 weeks ago, and wasnt prepared to pluck them by hand, even with the help of my eager six year old helper.
I was thinking of making a plucker along the lines of the one in Backwoods about a year ago, but didnt have the motor, and while I tried, the only plucker fingers I could find were three hours drive away, and almost three bucks each. So, I invented my own. Total cost - $6.00
I bought a PVC end cap (about $2.00) and drilled a 3/8 hole in the center, and installed a long carriage bolt I already had as the shaft. Then I drilled 3/8 holes all around the outside. I made the fingers out two bungie cords. (rubber straps with S hooks a both ends) I had a bunch around, but wanted to get the softest rubber I could, so I bought two long ones. (about $4.00) I cut the cord into three inch lengths, then cut the edge off both sides of each piece, except for a half an inch at the end. Then I pulled the fingers through the holes in the PVC cap, they couldnt come out because of the half inch bump out at the end. The pictures will explain if the words dont. Then I popped the shaft into my drill and tied the drill to the picnic table with bungie cords. A wire tie abound the trigger held it at a medium speed.
It plucks a scalded bird in about 45 seconds. It wont pull the primary wing and tail feathers, and has trouble with the feathers along the leading edge of the wing, but works amazing for my purposes. I pluck the birds with the plucker, rinse it off and pull out the big feathers by hand. Total time is certainly less then 90 seconds a bird.
Ive posted pictures, and have a thirty second video. The link for the video is below.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7968684598671806901&q=chicken+plucker
Pete
