OK How do you pluck

[blueskylen]

I can't remember what catalog that I saw this in, but it was a small plucker thing that you put on a cordless drill. it was round and had replaceable rubber tips attached to it. it wasn't expensive, i think under $30.00 including the rubber tips. It looked to be easy to use, if you had a way to hold the chicken down while using it.
I'll have to go see if I still have that catalog.

 

[kstaven]

Many hunting supply places handle the drill pluckers. If you can put them on a drill press they work great. I have used one before, but would never use it on a hand drill.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:
My husband and always get hunting catalogs and I've seen the regular pluckers in there but never one like that. Oh that would be great to have!!!!

 

[Peruvian]

Maybe this would work. Seems like it might work if you had time or only a few birds, but I wouldn't want to do a few dozen this way.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

The ones that I did this time had to be done right away. But this next batch will be done over a few days time and I'll be having one of my children help me.

 

[cackle]

can't remember what catalog that I saw this in, but it was a small plucker thing that you put on a cordless drill. it was round and had replaceable rubber tips attached to it. it wasn't expensive, i think under $30.00 including the rubber tips. It looked to be easy to use, if you had a way to hold the chicken down while using it.
I'll have to go see if I still have that catalog.

Here is a link to one on special for 9.99. That is less than I paid for the whiz bang book.


Susan

 

[chiknwhisperer]

What was the link again. It didn't come up. I would definitly get it if it is on sale for only that much. I'm very cheap lol. That makes up for all the animals that I am attracted to. Then my DH doesn't have as much to complain about lol.

 

[dancingbear]

Chiknwhisperer, even with a plucker, the key is the water temp, and time. If you check the temp with a thermometer, and watch the second hand, it should work just fine. The feathers almost fall off, even for hand plucking, if you scalded properly. If the waters too hot, the skin will still be all torn up. It takes a little practice, but it really isn't all that hard. It does stink, but the innards will stink, too, butchering is a smelly process, no matter what.

Ok, this isn't meant as any kind of criticism, please don't take it that way. More of an observation, and sharing of personal experience, because we all do this sort of thing... Here goes:
Sometimes when you've been stuck with a job you didn't want, particularly a nasty one, (and poultry processing is nasty, no matter how you do it) the mind rebels, and we tend to make it a lot harder than it really is. I'm sorry you got left holding the bag on both shares of the birds, but maybe your irritation is most of what made it so difficult. Besides not being there to help, your friend wanted the birds done in a way you're unfamiliar with, instead of letting you do it the way you're comfortable with. Besides, if you're anything like me, you probably had looked forward to having her company for the job. "Many hands make light work" isn't just a saying, it's true. Then, instead, you had the job to do by yourself, and you were being asked to do it "the hard way". It's understandable if you were upset, and things went from bad to worse. A bad mood tends to cause us to make mistakes, get in a hurry, and kind of fumble through things. That's not a judgment about you, I catch myself doing the same thing. But once I realize that I'm fighting myself, I can laugh at it, take a deep breath, relax, and do then it right. It's easier, then. I hope I haven't offended, that's not my intention. I bet this will all get easier for you in the future!

Sbluvinit, if you deep fry a skinless turkey, I'd bet it would be very dried out, or very greasy. Turkey feathers, most of them, come out easier than a chickens if you start plucking immediately when the bird's dead. As it cools, the feathers get tighter. My DH and I hang it upside down as soon as it's dead, usually from a stout tree branch that we put a loop of strong cord on ahead of time, and start plucking and flinging feathers. In about 5 minutes, we have a mostly naked turkey, just part of the wings, tail, and maybe some leg feathers left to pull out. We take the bird in to the sink, and pour hot water on the places that still need to be plucked. A pair of pliers is good for those wing feathers.
Good luck, I hope your bird turns out well.

 

[chickenfanatic]

there was a reply to a post on here just the other day on how to make a drill plucker. it looked real easy u should do a search on it and see if u can find it.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Thanks for a the help everyone

And no worries about being offended I have pretty tough skin nad I love brutal honesty about anything. I think thats why I don't have very many friends lol. I am going to check out the drill plucker. And I have another flock of broilers right now that I have decided to do a fwe every few days instead of all at one time and I am going to try to pluck all of them. This last time I had little choice because of all the rain we had gotten and nothing would dry up and I was extremly afraid they would all become very ill. She wanted to help but was unable to leave a dog she was boarding for another person. I think this flock I have right now will go much smoother, espeacialy with all the great advice I have gotten here. Thank you sooo much

Corrie