Plucking Feathers

[LarissaEsq]

Hi, all,

Our current hens are only for eggs (we had 6), but our silver-laced wyandotte died last week on the crazy cold day here in NJ. She's frozen, has been ever since.

I'd like to take her feathers, but since we weren't raising meat birds, I have no idea how to do this and we don't have equipment dedicated to it. I've been reading on plucking, and saw that scalding seems to be the way to go, but is it necessary? Would I be able to pluck her feathers while she's frozen? I only ask because I don't want to put her in one of our food pots, since we didn't do a necropsy and I can't be 100% sure she wasn't ill when she died (though I don't think she was).

Tips and suggestions? Thanks!

 

[sourland]

If you have a purpose for the feathers, dry plucking is the way to do it. Never eat a bird that dies from unknown causes.

 

[Acre4Me]

Hi, all,

Our current hens are only for eggs (we had 6), but our silver-laced wyandotte died last week on the crazy cold day here in NJ. She's frozen, has been ever since.

I'd like to take her feathers, but since we weren't raising meat birds, I have no idea how to do this and we don't have equipment dedicated to it. I've been reading on plucking, and saw that scalding seems to be the way to go, but is it necessary? Would I be able to pluck her feathers while she's frozen? I only ask because I don't want to put her in one of our food pots, since we didn't do a necropsy and I can't be 100% sure she wasn't ill when she died (though I don't think she was).

Tips and suggestions? Thanks!

You should be able to do so, without scalding. Not sure about the frozen state, but if it doesn't work while frozen, just let her thaw out, on the outside so you can pluck them easier. Good Luck.