Is a chicken plucker worth it?

[BYCforlife]

I found a brand new poultry plucker for sale on a buy and sell website. (NOT a shady website.)
It's $400, and I see they normally sell for $500 to $700. Of course I would test to see if it works before buying, and will ask their reason for selling.

My question is, though, do you think a plucker is worth it? I would be butchering around 50 birds a year for myself. My friend has a scalding pot they are willing to sell for cheap, so I'm interested in buying a plucker.
Also, I would possibly be butchering extra roosters at odd times of the year.

 

[trudyg]

If you can afford it, have room to store it conveniently and it works, I'd get it. Anything to make life easier. Storage is my thing-if it's too hard to get it out and set up, then I won't use it.

 

[feedman77]

For the amount of birds you are going to be butchering. Definitely worth it. Saves a lot of time.
I bought a yardbird plucker at tsc. Good for 2 chickens at a time.

Looking at a bigger one to do turkeys.

 

[RUNuts]

50 birds at once by yourself? Yes, get the plucker.

Doing 10 or less by yourself 5 times a year. Maybe.

50 with a whole lot of help, maybe.

How much do you like hand picking? One day I will meet someone who enjoys it. You could be the first!

 

[BYCforlife]

If you can afford it, have room to store it conveniently and it works, I'd get it. Anything to make life easier. Storage is my thing-if it's too hard to get it out and set up, then I won't use it.

I have a 2,400 square foot shop, with lots of storage room, and a very large enclosed shed too. I will probably buy one, then. Thanks!

 

[BYCforlife]

For the amount of birds you are going to be butchering. Definitely worth it. Saves a lot of time.
I bought a yardbird plucker at tsc. Good for 2 chickens at a time.

Looking at a bigger one to do turkeys.

Good to know, thanks! I'm probably going to get the 13 Kilogram plucker.

 

[BYCforlife]

50 birds at once by yourself? Yes, get the plucker.

Doing 10 or less by yourself 5 times a year. Maybe.

50 with a whole lot of help, maybe.

How much do you like hand picking? One day I will meet someone who enjoys it. You could be the first!

Sounds good!

I've actually never done it. Other parts of the process, yes, but my friends did the plucking. I could try one just to make you happy...

 

[RUNuts]

They aren't like potato chips. You can (or will want to) stop at one. I guarantee!

Buy the plucker! Excellent choice!

 

[jpace]

I hand plucked chickens for my first two years of raising Cornish X. Year three I build a plucker" and have not looked back. The best I could do hand plucking was about 20 minutes a bird (yep, I'm slow ) - with the plucker it is about 20 seconds per bird! For me it was money well spent.

 

[BYCforlife]

Thanks for the advice! I'll be picking up the plucker soon.