Turkey Plucking

[Haunted55]

Do you guys have any pics of your pluckers? I like that idea for sure, the arthritis in my hands won't be helpful to me at all. Also, can you run these pluckers off of a tractor PTO, or is that a bit much? Would hate to send the whole bird into orbit!

My motor is electric. http://www.whizbangbooks.com/ If you go here you can check them out. There is also a Yahoo group dedicated to this.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whizbangchickenpluckers/ You can do 2-3 chickens at once in one of these and they come out clean if the scald is right.

 

[Debbi]

Thanks for those links! Got to say, without having read anything yet, these pluckers look like they could be made from old washing machines. I'm envisioning 3 chickens, hanging on swivel rigged ropes, sunk into the tub for the scald, then set on the spin cycle with the rubber fingers lining the tub of the washer. Of course drainage modifications would have to be made to accomodate the feathers, but seems this could be a possibility? Anyone ever do this? I would love to see pics if you have!! I am a frugal, poor, old bat that loves to tinker with possibilities for the at hand stuff. "Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without!" It's a good way to live in these days of excess and excessive doubts!

 

[Celie]

I bought the kit and the motor from TS as well. I thought the barrels we had were big enough but it just won't work so I had to get the plastic to make one. The figuring for a flat piece is, for me at least, something else. Back to the book and drawingboard....

Have you had cornish before? They are some funky little birds! And I agree, I love turkeys as well, both on the table and off. they are really great birds.

I haven't seen the one you are talking about at TS, but DH is going to make one out of a used washing machine and I know he is going to use the tub part, but not the agitator. It looks like the right size to me. I usually just do 2 or 3 turkeys at a time or a half dozen extra roosters, so hand plucking doesn't take long to do by myself. A pot of water @ 150 degrees and the feathers are off in a few minutes. If the water temp. is not right, it can get tough, so make sure you check the water temperature with a thermometer. We have around 40 Cornish crosses about 5 1/2 weeks old and about 80 meat ducks going to freezer camp by mid-January, so if he hasn't made the plucker by then, he has a lot of plucking to help with, so I think I'll be getting a plucker around the beginning of January! LOL He is great at inventing and reinventing things. Anyway, that is why he has a shop for, to tinker with his machinery, while I take care of the animals and I do most of the animal harvesting, rabbits, turkeys, chickens, ducks, in addition to gathering, packaging and incubating the eggs, so it's make us a machine to do it, or help with a 120 bird harvest! Anyone want to bet which it will be? Don't get me wrong, he loves the birds and loves lots of guns, but he prefers to shoot targets. He has shotguns and rifles with all kinds of scopes and will take out the predators, but he is not keen on having to kill the animals we raise, so I do what has to be done there, but come January, he can use a machine or he can help hand pluck, but 120 birds will be going to freezer camp.

 

[3 NH reds]

Do you guys have any pics of your pluckers? I like that idea for sure, the arthritis in my hands won't be helpful to me at all. Also, can you run these pluckers off of a tractor PTO, or is that a bit much? Would hate to send the whole bird into orbit!

Do you guys have any pics of your pluckers? I like that idea for sure, the arthritis in my hands won't be helpful to me at all. Also, can you run these pluckers off of a tractor PTO, or is that a bit much? Would hate to send the whole bird into orbit!

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks 3 NH Reds!!! Because I don't have the tub part done there's not much to show here. Wanted to add you did a fantastic job on the plucker!

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks for those links! Got to say, without having read anything yet, these pluckers look like they could be made from old washing machines. I'm envisioning 3 chickens, hanging on swivel rigged ropes, sunk into the tub for the scald, then set on the spin cycle with the rubber fingers lining the tub of the washer. Of course drainage modifications would have to be made to accomodate the feathers, but seems this could be a possibility? Anyone ever do this? I would love to see pics if you have!! I am a frugal, poor, old bat that loves to tinker with possibilities for the at hand stuff. "Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without!" It's a good way to live in these days of excess and excessive doubts!

I haven't seen the one you are talking about at TS, but DH is going to make one out of a used washing machine and I know he is going to use the tub part, but not the agitator. It looks like the right size to me. I usually just do 2 or 3 turkeys at a time or a half dozen extra roosters, so hand plucking doesn't take long to do by myself. A pot of water @ 150 degrees and the feathers are off in a few minutes. If the water temp. is not right, it can get tough, so make sure you check the water temperature with a thermometer. We have around 40 Cornish crosses about 5 1/2 weeks old and about 80 meat ducks going to freezer camp by mid-January, so if he hasn't made the plucker by then, he has a lot of plucking to help with, so I think I'll be getting a plucker around the beginning of January! LOL He is great at inventing and reinventing things. Anyway, that is why he has a shop for, to tinker with his machinery, while I take care of the animals and I do most of the animal harvesting, rabbits, turkeys, chickens, ducks, in addition to gathering, packaging and incubating the eggs, so it's make us a machine to do it, or help with a 120 bird harvest! Anyone want to bet which it will be? Don't get me wrong, he loves the birds and loves lots of guns, but he prefers to shoot targets. He has shotguns and rifles with all kinds of scopes and will take out the predators, but he is not keen on having to kill the animals we raise, so I do what has to be done there, but come January, he can use a machine or he can help hand pluck, but 120 birds will be going to freezer camp.

Okay, go back and read through the Whizbang site. Very important. I used the tub from an old washer to make a scalder. I had the bottom changed at a welding shop and legs added for stability. This sits right on top of a gas fired turkey fryer. I don't believe you can have the washer for a scalder and a plucker. The torque on the washer's motor is different than what you would need and the motion isn't the same. Sorry, I cannot see it working. Oh you could use the tub part and drill the holes for the fingers or even if you wanted use the inner drum but you are getting into a real mess if you do that. You cannot dry pluck the chickens in a plucker very well. They have to be scalded, then when they are in the plucker you need water spraying to keep the feathers moving out. See what would happen with the drum and all of it's holes? You'd have water going everywhere instead of just down. Also you would have to take all or part of the drum bottom out to have a place for the feathers to drop out and drilling the tub could become an issue with getting the fingers to seat properly because of all the little holes.

With a plucker, the scald water is best at 140 - 145 degrees. Any hotter than that and you risk tearing the skin. [Hmmm, wonder how you know that Deb?] If you have a big enough scalder you can do 2-3 birds at once and put them into the plucker at the same time. [On the Whizband site you will also find the plans to make a automated scalder.] 2 or 3 chickens make for a better tumble over the fingers. The best part of these pluckers is the short amount of time needed to get a nekked bird and I do mean nekked. We're talking under 2 mins. for 2-3 birds. No pin feathers, no nothing, if your scald is right.

TS has the motor I am using for the plucker, not a plucker. Look at the pictures NH Reds put up. I believe that's the same motor I have and in the pictures you can see the fingers and their placement.

I have helped do over 300 birds using one of these pluckers and I can't say enough about them. They're fast, cleanup is easy and the birds look better than what you could ever get in the stores. When I finally get my turkeys done, I'll let you know how it did with them. Some of these birds are going to be close to 50 - 60 lbs. dressed. They're monsters and it'll be interesting to see how it handles them.

 

[Haunted55]

You might consider Rangers. They are good meat birds but they have better health and can regulate their own eating meaning I leave food 24/7 and not one was overweight. They take 12-16 weeks to get to a good size in my book.

I've looked at them but haven't done anything yet. How is the taste? The cornish X is great but I just don't care for it's life cycle. Silly I know, but would like something that could actually have a bit more living before it's end. The cornish x I have raised get to be the size of sm. - med. turkeys. Yikes! Everyone kids me that it's got to be something in the water up here, lol.

 

[3 NH reds]

I've looked at them but haven't done anything yet. How is the taste? The cornish X is great but I just don't care for it's life cycle. Silly I know, but would like something that could actually have a bit more living before it's end. The cornish x I have raised get to be the size of sm. - med. turkeys. Yikes! Everyone kids me that it's got to be something in the water up here, lol.

The taste of Rangers is great, it has a good fresh chicken flavor and great broth that isn't all washed out.. Nice plump birds with the yellowish skin. You are correct that the motor is a farm motor from tractor supply.the idler arm pulley and the 2.5" came from them as well. my barrel was smaller than his but worked just fine.

 

[Debbi]

Thank you both, that was very helpful. What size motor is that you have? I am trying to do this as cost effectively as I can, read that as broke! I have two industrial sewing machine motors here, one is 1/2hp, the other 1/3hp. Too much, too little? I still like the idea of the tractor PTO, and at an idle speed, that may not be too bad of an idea. As for a scalder, I can rig something up there with no problem. Have quite a few Coleman stoves that could be used to heat the water and maintain the temps. The neighbor boy who is just 14 and is interested in being able to live off the grid, has promised he would help me do the butchering. Big, strong boy, that is willing to learn new things and he has butchered wild turkeys, albeit by skinning. Now, if the hormones will just hold off, and some girl doesn't turn his head between now and then, I'll be in luck to have his help!

 

[Arielle]

In my case it was a project that was waiting for me to just do it. 8 Turkey and I am slow plucking by hand. building it was not as bad as I feared but I did use a feather plate and shaft off the site. Other parts were tractor supply, home depot and a belt from advance auto. Next year I will get one of the frying pan specials of 25 cornish roo's. And more Turkey for sure. I am a Turkey junkie and could eat it every 2 weeks.

I'm a turkey junkie , too. I just put the bones in for soup and I'm thinking about the next turkey to roast!