Business Idea... want feedback

[the_great_snag]

Hey guys,

I've been reading up on the tub-type plucking machines and am seriously pondering the idea of buying one along with perhaps a gas scalder.

I am thinking I could rent this equipment out or provide custom plucking services for fellow chicken people who are butchering.

Everyone I know who keeps chickens HATES to pluck and many say they limit their flock size simply because it's such an onerous chore. Many in my circle of friends say they would gladly pay for someone to help them with processing their birds.

Anyway, supposing I do this, should I rent it out or simply bring it to customer's sites and operate the equipment for them?

What should I charge? I'm thinking $1.50 a bird would be reasonable and should quickly recoup the cost of my investment, possibly even in one season.

I would like to avoid gutting/eviscerating, and simply help provide people with clean carcasses for them to butcher as they wish. My biggest concern is processing gizzards would be a huge drain on my time. I also would not want to be responsible for how the meat is handled after slaughtering.

 

[georgialee]

Well, if you rented it out it would be by the hour, right? So if you wanted to charge by bird you would have to operate the machine yourself. It sounds like a great idea if there is that much need in your area!

 

[the_great_snag]

Based on the sales of chicken supplies at our local feed stores I think I could do pretty well. There are obviously a LOT of birds in the area, and I don't know anyone who likes to hand-pluck.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I think people who process their own birds HATE to pay for the service even more than they HATE to pluck birds. They might keep larger flocks if the plucking was easier, but I bet that when it comes right down to it they'll stick with their current flock size before paying for part of the processing.

I'm not meaning to put a damper on things, but I think you should talk to your friends again to see just how serious they are about paying someone to help. You should also find out what the going rate is for fully processing a bird. Some people on these forums have quoted fees like $2.00/bird. If people are willing to pay $1.50 for you to pluck a bird, I can't imagine them not being willing to pay $2.00/bird for complete processing.

 

[the_great_snag]

Quote:
I think people who process their own birds HATE to pay for the service even more than they HATE to pluck birds. They might keep larger flocks if the plucking was easier, but I bet that when it comes right down to it they'll stick with their current flock size before paying for part of the processing.

I'm not meaning to put a damper on things, but I think you should talk to your friends again to see just how serious they are about paying someone to help. You should also find out what the going rate is for fully processing a bird. Some people on these forums have quoted fees like $2.00/bird. If people are willing to pay $1.50 for you to pluck a bird, I can't imagine them not being willing to pay $2.00/bird for complete processing.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice of other chicken folks when it comes to things like this. I guess mainly I would like to at least defray a part of the cost of the equipment, and not so much get rich from it. I think having a machine like that would encourage me to run a lot more birds myself if I didn't have such a dread of butcher day...

I could probably use 3 chickens a week myself if I had the means to easily butcher them... lol

I have been asking around a bit, and so far people have been very enthused about the idea.

 

[cherig22]

Man, I would pay it. I am not looking forward to all skinned chickens or plucking to keep the skin.

Cheri

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Someone in our area advertises a plucker rental $50/weekend.

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

I would rent from someone that had this type of business if it was by the hour or day, not per bird. Have you seen the plans to build a Whizbang plucker(think that is what it's called), the book is on Amazon....and you can build one for a couple hundred bucks. They it works just as well....I believe there is also a website, where you can see a demo.

Pam

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

I would rent from someone that had this type of business if it was by the hour or day, not per bird. Have you seen the plans to build a Whizbang plucker(think that is what it's called), the book is on Amazon....and you can build one for a couple hundred bucks. They it works just as well....I believe there is also a website, where you can see a demo.

Actually if you build it to the plans and use good parts it will cost you about 500 dollars or so to get one built, the fingers alone are 100 bucks and the feather plate is another 100 bucks and you still got a lot more little things to go.

And yes I don't think you would have great success with a per bird price ??

We rent our equipment out for 30 dollars a day and 50 dollars for the weekend. That includes killing cones, propane scalder and dunk tank,plucker and chill tank.

People do love the idea and alot will call but when it comes right down to it very few call and pay for it, alot of them want to barter for chickens or ?? But when it comes down to the green most people shy away, when they can go have it all done for 2-.3 dollars a bird and they have to do nothing but grow them.

I would rather run the gut pulling then the scalder and the plucker any day. I hate that job and it stinks as well. If you don't like to pull guts then how are you going to kill them and scald and pluck, because that is what all that job entails. For sure very few would pay you 1.50 a bird to just sit at the plucker and run it ???

Just a thought to think of. Not trying to damper your idea just throwing out holes in it and why or why nots that I have seen along the way, so take me wrong by it.​

 

[the_great_snag]

Quote:
I agree. Skinned chicken IN MY OPINION is not worth bothering with. My sister did that one year and when it came time to take home my share of the birds I told her to just keep them.

She refused to pluck her birds because she hates it so badly...

I have no problems with any part of the process. I hate plucking because it is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The only part of gutting I dislike is the tedium of processing gizzards. It's time-consuming, but on the other hand I love gizzards. I can't win. he he he

Perhaps you guys are right. I should just rent it out by the day if I do this, huh?

Like I said, I don't expect to get rich with it. I want to help out my chicken raising friends and hopefully recoup my investment and have a machine that will serve me for several years.