Do you have a plucker?

[Arielle]

Sometimes they are availabe to rent on craigs list.

ALso there is another drill type one if you are handy. It is here on BYC. A pipe cap, with long bolt to attach to drill. I would reverse the location of the bolt. Use rubber bungies, the flat type. Cut a bungie into lengths. I can't remember about 3-4 inces then cut off some on the right and the left leafing a cap on the end. Looks abit like a T. Drill holes to match the size and pull thru from inside to outside.

THe drill is usually held down and stabliized but this seems akwaard. THe trigger needs to e activated in some fashion too.. Perhaps having the bird by station ary and run the plucker over it will help.

I bought the parts but did nt built it. I hand pluck the chickens and the turkeys.

 

[furbabymum]

Will see about the drill! Hubby is looking at building one but we will see. He's a lot of ideas but not a lot of skill. Of course, I am the same but I have enthusiasm backing me up.
I will say that my turkeys are so nice that watching the youtube videos of plucking has made me a bit ill about it all. Hubby is having fun with that one as I'm usually the driving force behind every bird we kill.

 

[popsicle]

Will see about the drill! Hubby is looking at building one but we will see. He's a lot of ideas but not a lot of skill. Of course, I am the same but I have enthusiasm backing me up.
I will say that my turkeys are so nice that watching the youtube videos of plucking has made me a bit ill about it all. Hubby is having fun with that one as I'm usually the driving force behind every bird we kill.

The birds are my deal--my husband will help process but I have to do the dispatching. I really liked the turkey--more than I like any of the chickens--but that thing was eating me out of house and home, so I was ready when the day came.

So what did I do? I got more turkeys! Now we're really looking into one of those drill attachments. I'm hoping these heritage birds are able to feed themselves on the pasture more than the BBW.

I think I will try to build one like described by Arielle--thanks for describing that!

 

[hdmax]

I just got into poultry this spring, and one of the first things I did, was build a whizbang style Chicken stripper. I knew going in, that I would be doing all the processing, and the 8 Cross rocks would be ready in 7-9 weeks.It handled the Cornish Cross Rocks two at a time that dressed out at about 8# each. (Don't really think it would have handled three at a time, but that is alright as my setup was designed for two.) I think a 20-25# turkey will be at or near its limit, and then only with the feet, and head, and maybe neck removed. I will find out whenever my heritage turkeys get big enough to butcher. (Probably late this winter, early next spring.)

To build a Turkey stripper large enough to de-feather a 50# + sized bird, the tub would have to be maybe 30" in diameter, and 30" or so deep, along with a 2 hp TEFC motor (Preferably running on 220V, which would make renting/loaning it out next to impossible. But that could be a good thing!) and maybe 225-250 plucker fingers, (4-6 rows of fingers instead of two.) and I would go with a twin pulley/belt setup. (Diameter of the pulleys would stay the same!) Frame will need to be much beefier, and larger. But the operation of it would be identical as the Whizbang designed setup. Think of it as a 2500HD diesel pickup compared to a 1500 with 6 banger, they both do the same job, just on a much different scale.
If I ever decide to get into the BB turkeys, (Or if I determine that the one I built is no up to the task for the heritage turkeys.) I will most definitely build this beast.

 

[furbabymum]

I just got into poultry this spring, and one of the first things I did, was build a whizbang style Chicken stripper. I knew going in, that I would be doing all the processing, and the 8 Cross rocks would be ready in 7-9 weeks.It handled the Cornish Cross Rocks two at a time that dressed out at about 8# each. (Don't really think it would have handled three at a time, but that is alright as my setup was designed for two.) I think a 20-25# turkey will be at or near its limit, and then only with the feet, and head, and maybe neck removed. I will find out whenever my heritage turkeys get big enough to butcher. (Probably late this winter, early next spring.)

To build a Turkey stripper large enough to de-feather a 50# + sized bird, the tub would have to be maybe 30" in diameter, and 30" or so deep, along with a 2 hp TEFC motor (Preferably running on 220V, which would make renting/loaning it out next to impossible. But that could be a good thing!) and maybe 225-250 plucker fingers, (4-6 rows of fingers instead of two.) and I would go with a twin pulley/belt setup. (Diameter of the pulleys would stay the same!) Frame will need to be much beefier, and larger. But the operation of it would be identical as the Whizbang designed setup. Think of it as a 2500HD diesel pickup compared to a 1500 with 6 banger, they both do the same job, just on a much different scale.
If I ever decide to get into the BB turkeys, (Or if I determine that the one I built is no up to the task for the heritage turkeys.) I will most definitely build this beast.

We have a large tractor. My husband realized he could use the attachment turning thing to run the plucker. (you can tell I'm a real whiz with technology here ) So we should have enough power to strip an ostrich in 8 seconds flat. lol Now we just need to find the right container and everything. Our giant white is truly giant. So far our other turkeys can walk right between his gigantic legs. Easily 50# that boy.

 

[furbabymum]

The birds are my deal--my husband will help process but I have to do the dispatching. I really liked the turkey--more than I like any of the chickens--but that thing was eating me out of house and home, so I was ready when the day came.

So what did I do? I got more turkeys! Now we're really looking into one of those drill attachments. I'm hoping these heritage birds are able to feed themselves on the pasture more than the BBW.

I think I will try to build one like described by Arielle--thanks for describing that!

My bourbon red and bronze breasted range really far. Of course, they are going with my peacocks and guineas. The giant white doesn't go very far though. He's a home body.

 

[hdmax]

We have a large tractor. My husband realized he could use the attachment turning thing to run the plucker. (you can tell I'm a real whiz with technology here ) So we should have enough power to strip an ostrich in 8 seconds flat. lol Now we just need to find the right container and everything. Our giant white is truly giant. So far our other turkeys can walk right between his gigantic legs. Easily 50# that boy.

You will have plenty of power even if you were using a small riding tractor with pto shaft. The tub of the picker could be made from two halves of a 55 gal. plastic barrel, (Remove the entire top and bottom, then split the side of both halves, then use however much of them to made the diameter tub you want. ) or maybe a 8 Foot sheep of lexan, it may need to be heated and rolled into the tub form and cooled. There are many materials that could be made to work.