PC, LOL I've had 10+ yrs to "get " familiar with mine!
Cost:
Pillow blocks 2 @ $10
Shaft $15 ish
pulleys $5-$20 each depending probably $10 each average
belt $10-$15
Motor Don't you buy them for $2-$5 at garage sales? Salvaged dryer motors work well too.
Angle iron for frame: free, use thrown out bed rails
Some screws and bolts
Plus what you already have
Add another $20 because you know something will get screwed up!
Of course, I probably have most of that tucked away somewhere already.
Been thinking about using two side by side drums that counter rotate, with the fingers coming "up" out of the valley between two drums. A set of finger boards would be set at kind of a V on top to keep the chicken in the zone. Little more complicated than that but you get the idea. Just chuck in a chicken and wait a few seconds. Automatic, and might not throw a chicken around as much as a Wizbang. Smaller and not as $$$ too.
So, how did you lock the drum onto the shaft?
BTW I thought the shaft was smaller than 5/8. I'd still go bigger if you can for the long term considering the mass and RPM. But then I tend to over build, so it might be just fine if you use real shaft material. A drill should give you around 300-500 RPM? Unless you use a high speed like a hammer drill. I'd be worried about frying the drill though.
Swamp