"Plucker" attachment for drill.....

[suburbanhomesteader]

I can't stop thinking about abrasive balls.....

 

[MissPrissy]

By the time you get all the gadgets ready you could have plucked the chicken by hand. It takes me 10 - 15 minutes to pluck one clean - including the pin feathers. If you scald them quickly the feathers just come right off with no real effort.

 

[beebiz]

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You are sooooo bad!!!!!!!!

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With the exception of the times that I have skinned them, that's the way I've always done it. And, it has worked fine when I have only had 5 or 6 birds to do and my hands weren't so arthritic! But, with the arthritis gettin rapidly worse, it is taking longer and longer to process the birds. If everything goes well, in just a few weeks I will have about 23 to process. And, I dont' want it to take me 2 or 3 weeks to do it.

I checked out the link that mac in abilene posted. With the exception of the pvc pipe cap and the rubber fingers, I have everthing I need to build one similar to it. The pvc cap will be cheap and I have found the fingers reasonably priced at Cutler Supply. So again, I think I'm going to try my hand at making a plucker/picker similar to the one found here

Thanks to everyone for your input! And, surburbanhomesteader.... behave yourself!!!

Robert

 

[MissPrissy]

In just a few weeks I will have 27 myself to dress out. I keep think about the work and how I really should either start at sun up or do it in 2 consective saturdays.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome in one hand that I had to have surgery for. I know what it like to have trouble using your hands!

Good luck. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

I haven't tried it with my birds yet, because I've been skinning them, but when I hunt pheasant, turkey, and goose, if I dry-pluck them as soon as they quit kicking, the feathers practically fly off their body, and then all you have to do is singe off the hairs.

I really hate the smell of wet feathers, and heating a pot of water big enough in which to put a chicken has always seemed very dangerous to me.

Has anybody tried dry-plucking a still-warm chicken?

 

[chickenmama22]

suburbanhome - I have dry-plucked the (dirty) belly feathers right after they stop moving. They come right out. My dad's comment, however, was something to the effect that it could damage the skin. (He used to pluck chickens as a kid some 65 years ago.) I haven't noticed any harm by removing those feathers -- as the underside of the cornish are quite dirty.

beebiz and others - I have been processing my flock of cornish roosters. I bought supplies to make a drill attachment plucker. I bought the pvc cap (68 cents), a post attachment for a sanding disk that goes in your drill ($3, can't remember the real name), and a piece of black rubber tubing to make rubber strips ($4). I tried it with battery operated drill (too slow) and an electric drill (probably fast enough), but the fingers just weren't right. I might have to buy the real fingers or try leather straps. Hopefully, others will learn from my attempts.

Can anyone describe the rubber plucking fingers? Are they soft, short, flexible, firm, etc? I have never seen a plucker in person.

Miss Prissy, do you know at what temperature you have the water and for how long? I've tried all sorts of temps from 130 to boiling (LOL) and once in awhile the feathers slip out easily, just as you said.

Well, 18 processed and 6 to go. Thanks for the helpful post!
Nancy