Chicken pluckers

[Peruvian]

Yep - Whizbang.

Quote:
The plans are about $20. They are the cheapest part of your project. Just buy them from Herrick Kimball directly.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
The plans are about $20. They are the cheapest part of your project. Just buy them from Herrick Kimball directly.

Yup- seriously, you won't regret it!

 

[JohnL11935]

Quote:
The plans are cheap and the lowest cost item.

The remainder depends on how many parts you can scrounge vs. buy.

I picked up a barrel for free, and had most of the lumber. New electric motor (1 HP) was ~ $225 delivered. The remainder of the plucker specific parts purchased from Herrick were ~ $325? Throw in some miscellaneous hardwire, parts and paint and I'm thinking total was around $600?

To keep the cost down I think the key is to split one with a couple of other families, or plan on renting it out once finished.


Priceless: Knowing you'll never hand pluck again!

 

[Dennis A]

Yes, order the plan's from Herrick. Give credit where credits due.
Dennis

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

The key is using what you can find. If you look around you came pick up most all the parts cheap. I had the buy the plucker fingers and a 14 in pulley. So I might have 100 bucks in to the thing. I tried a 12 in pulley but it was to fast. Also I used less fingers then most I have saw. The result is the same naked birds in lass then 30 seconds.

 

[schmism]

Quote:
to be clear you will have WELL over $100 in a wizbang style if you follow henricks plan.

he calls for 120 fingers which will set you back the $100 just to start.
a 14" or (IMHO better) 16" pulley is $35 (at my farm supply store) $54 if you order from henrick
2 1" pillow blocks which not even the handiest thrifty of people will have on hand is $35\\

even if you paid nothing for the 2x4 and all the hardware that henrick calls for (lots of carrage bolts etc), had a motor, got the barrel for free, had a 1" shaft from something and welded your own drive plate to it, then recycled something for a feather plate (or used something poor like plywood for the feather plate) you by some miracle had the right size drive belt, and had enough parts to scrounge together a tension mechanism. Your STILL realistically going to spend over $200 on a wizbang tub plucker.

I had a motor in stock everything else i built myself with items i had to purchase. I figure i have over $400 in mine.

if you had very little in the way of salvaged items and bought virtually everything new your looking at around $600 in costs as mentioned before

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

Bought our whizbang plucker on CraigsList for $400. Came with 3 homemade kill cones that needed a little modification.

I think the guy builds them, uses them for a season then sells them at cost. He said he sells the plucker fingers on ebay.

I wonder about the finger placement. It's something I would like to noodle with if I had time and birds to kill. 4 birds at a time is no problem.

 

[scubaforlife]

I see pluckers advertised on Craigslist all the time, new.

http://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/1692587499.html

 

[Karrie13]

I have not been lucky enough to find one on our craigslist here... but I keep looking and hoping!

 

[scubaforlife]

What part of MN Karrie? I am from Beaver Bay.