I would imagine my Mrs. W probably has all sorts of equipment like a plucking machine to make it easier for her. $2 a head is ridiculous(ly cheap) but I'm not complaining. If it was just a friend or relative doing it for me, I would not hesitate to pay $5 a head and maybe one chicken for every five butchered. I know Mrs W does volume work, I've taken three or four birds over there of a morning and seen two or three dog cages with seven or eight birds each in them, ready to go, and this was before 8 a.m.After plucking and butchering my own cockerel, I honestly can't even imagine paying someone else only $2. It was a lot of work! I'm sure it gets easier with practice but it look me a long time. I was pausing and starting a how-to youtube video, though, so that probably slowed me down.