plucker question

[bj taylor]

if you have a small flock (12 birds or less), is it worth while to invest in a plucker when you will only be killing one or two birds at a time?

 

[Buster52]

Not in my mind. Easier to skin them, since most of my DP birds are over a year old before I process them and they will be soup, anyway, so I don't care about the skin.

However, I have ramped up production and will be selling Frankenbirds at the farmers market. So, since I will be selling them, and doing 40 or 50 birds at a time, it is important that they be well plucked with skin on. So, investing in a quality plucker makes sense now.

 

[Peruvian]

I'd recommend a drill plucker. Easy, cheap, and effective.

 

[the_great_snag]

You can easily make a drill plucker for less than 5 bucks. Honestly though, if you are only doing a couple at a time, just make sure you get a good scald and hand picking would be fine.

By good scald, I mean water temp of ~145 degrees and agitate the carcass under the water until the wing feathers pull loose easily.

I have even dry-picked when I only had a couple to do though, so really you should be fine no matter what.

 

[Buster52]

I have a table plucker and it still doesn't make sense for just a couple of birds. By the time the scalder is set up and warmed, and the plucker in place, I could have had them skinned, eviscerated, and in the chill tank.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Quote:

I have a table plucker and it still doesn't make sense for just a couple of birds. By the time the scalder is set up and warmed, and the plucker in place, I could have had them skinned, eviscerated, and in the chill tank.

Do you have pictures of how you skin them? I would like to learn more about how to do this. I did try to skin one of my roos but it became pretty messy and I cut myself trying to cut the skin from around the legs.

 

[the_great_snag]

Cut their feet off first. Makes it much easier. I don't like chicken without skin personally, but if you do, go for it. It is a lot faster.

 

[bwmichaud]

For doing just 1 or 2 birds at a time, I'd just pluck them by hand. Chickens pluck pretty easily. I would never skin a chicken since roasted chicken skin is my favorite!