The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

I've looked at a diy plucker didnt seem to bad using rubber bungee and a drill

Yeah we made that. It really doesn't speed up the process and hurts your hands.

I still hand pluck. If you get the temp right in the scalder - 145 to 155 with some liquid dish soap and about 9 vigorous up and down swirly dunks the feathers practically fall off the bird. Each time we dunk and take the bird out we test the flight and butt feathers - the hardest to pull out - and when they pull out easy, the bird is scalded properly (again, on average about 9 dunks for us) then into the cool water they go to stop the process, then pluck. Takes only a few minutes.

 

[vehve]

I like to rub in the soap before scalding them and then wash them with cold water from a hose to cool them down a bit.

 

[Amberjem]

so the other half came home after hunting up a part for the car took em fiv e hours to do this.. apparently went on a exposition across the whole of town went to dealer, dealer, don't make part anymore went off to fabrication company.. don't do such small orders went to heating duct company metal they have is to thin try the iron worker guy behind them, off to their iron guy it's to think you need thinner here is a sheet of iron you can use, so off to another shop.............. guy I wouldn't do that I'd do this this and this..............hey give me your sheet of iron and you can come in tomorrow to pick it up .............bingo..one piece of iron bartered off for the work needed done in the mean time in this guys shop a huge discussion on chickens is occurring apparently everyone there had chickens and or were building a coop 90 year old lady there oh yes love farm fresh eggs.... partner comes home...and says there is a chicken conspiracy

 

[hennible]

There must be a chicken conspiracy...

 

[chickadoodles]

Hennible that is to funny!

 

[ozexpat]

I used to think that. At the time of hatch, a female chick has as many as 4000 ova. Regardless of their prowess, they can't lay that many eggs in a lifetime. Many other metabolic and physiological things prevent those ova from becoming mature follicles and full sized yolks.

And yes, the waning is similar to menopause even though humans will still have undeveloped eggs available.
The hormones do stimulate sexual maturity and follicle development. Photoperiod is a huge but not the only determinant of that.

Those are good links on ova and ability to lay egg over many years.

The other reasons such such as light, metabolic reasons are external or caused by pathophysiology.

The lists of why a chicken lays less eggs is huge.

 

[ozexpat]

I developed a chart (based on an amalgum of others on the web) of birds that I have (or should have) and their qualities

http://cocopoultryfarm.com/Selecting.html

 

[ozexpat]

I've looked at a diy plucker didnt seem to bad using rubber bungee and a drill

My auto plucker's name is Bernie.

I point to the roos and the next moring they are on the sink ready for a final rinse.

 

[Amberjem]

My auto plucker's name is Bernie.

I point to the roos and the next moring they are on the sink ready for a final rinse.

LOL that works can I borrow bernie?

 

[ozexpat]

Sure - PAL flighs into Vancouver. If you do it on the low season, 12 roos will cost about $80 per chook LOL