Oh boy, I wish I'd had a chance to give you feedback before you ordered. I have that drill powered plucker and don't like it at all. If you have a drill press it might work okay but otherwise, it really doesn't work. We don't have a drill press and found it really difficult to use without it. DH held the chicken while I used the plucker and a couple of times I hit his fingers and he said that was REALLY painful. After that I held and he plucked but if anything, it took longer than doing it by hand and by hand takes so long that I used to procrastinate butchering because I didn't want to spend several hours plucking so……We even went out and looked at drill presses after that experience but decided it was a lot of additional money to spend to be able to pluck, when skinning is so fast and easy. So after that first use, the plucker has sat in a box in the garage and I doubt we'll ever use it again - what a waste of money.
Speaking of plucking, I actually plucked a duck this morning. I started as usual removing head, wings and feet, then started to pull the skin back from the neck but every time I tried to get a grip, what I got instead was a handful of feathers. They were coming out so easily that I completely dry plucked that duck in about the same amount of time it takes to skin them! Maybe she was getting close to being in molt because I've never been able to dry pluck like that before. Even the wing and tail feathers just popped right out. She is now in the oven roasting. Normally I skin and then render downy he meat in the crockpot but since she was plucked I decided to roast for a change.
Trish, so sorry to hear about your kitty - what a bummer. Goats are such a PITA!!!
I woke two nights ago around 3am to hear footsteps on the front porch. I went to investigate and saw the driveway wet and a flash of lightning. I opened the front door and found the goats at the far end of the porch, sheltering from the rain. I went back to bed but 5 minutes later realized I was never going to get back to sleep with them marching back and forth on the porch so I got up and went out to put them away and found all the sheep out as well. The gate had unlatched and swung open and they all took advantage. They seemed to know they shouldn't be out though and as soon as they saw me, headed towards the gate - even the goats - and walked right back into their pasture. I secured the gate and went back inside but of course by then I was so wide awake I didn't sleep again for hours.
Zigzag, I can't remember where you are located. If you want someone to help with the first birds, let me know - I might be available for a lesson.
Though another guy Bret Bartly trained her to drive and he really did her well, I think driving was a good thing for her. So I haven't trained her myself but I am working with her more and let me tell you I think she trusts me too much to not hurt her. I was trying to lunge her the other day and she kept stopping and turning towards me to eat grass. I ended up having to run with her to get her to do something. Oh well I suppose its better than her running off on me right? Lets see if I can find a good pic.... Not sure If Ive got a good one but this is me parking her out, its not the best pic, I think I look crazy but hey we've all had that right? 
