I've plucked all of my chickens by hand. I only have noticed the little hairs on the older birds (spent hens) not on the Freedom Rangers or CX I've raised for meat. The initial plucking takes only a few minutes if the birds have been scalded properly, not too long or you damage the skin and not too short or the feathers don't come out easily. I probably get 90 - 95% of the feathers in only a minute or tow. However, the last 5 to 10% take longer. I do this part in the kitchen under running water so that what I pluck doesn't stick to the chicken. Once I am most of the way there, I start the cleaning and gutting and usually find a few pin feathers that need to be removed during this process. After this I rinse the bird and often find a feather or two more. Then they are in the refridgerator to "rest" for a few days before bagging and freezing. Sometimes, I find another pin feather or two. I've even found one after I defrosted a chicken and was preparing it for roasting or grilling. However, I have never had a family member complain that they found one after cooking. I'm guessing that the heat of the cooking takes care of anything that may have been missed.
