MMagis
Veteran Member
Never done one, but there’s no reason it wouldn’t work the same.
Chicken plucker biuld
- Thread starter rasorbackq
- Start date
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OP
rasorbackq
Platinum Member
Wife and I are 6 minutes a bird walking killing scaulding plucking gutting washing dripping bagging sealing and weighing .
OP
rasorbackq
Platinum Member
They same on the whiz bang site to scald the ducks for 8 minutes then pluck. I did 2 last week I scalded for 1 minute and half the feather came off. I scald 2 more min and more feathers came off but skin did also.
TnAndy
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2013
- Messages
- 1,993
- Location
- East Tennessee
- Tractor
- Yanmar LX410...IHI 35J excavator Woodmizer LT40
I like hogs and beef too....but I like chicken as well. Takes us 2 days to do two hogs, plus 1/2 day to clean up the meat room, bandsaw, etc. We can do 30 7-8lb chickens in a day.
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rasorbackq
Platinum Member
Well new season and new plucker built. Since I had a spare gear reduction 10:1 and a 1725rpm 1 hp motor that was new and not able to be used on my big plucker . needed 30:1 and a 3450 rpm for that one.
I built it added a couple better mods Then I sold it for $900 only after 66 meat birds through it.
As soon as it sells I get a couple calls to pluck chickens . Mad rush now to get a 3450 motor Did find one at 3/4 hp that seems to work . Sunday will tell a better story if it does.
I built it added a couple better mods Then I sold it for $900 only after 66 meat birds through it.
As soon as it sells I get a couple calls to pluck chickens . Mad rush now to get a 3450 motor Did find one at 3/4 hp that seems to work . Sunday will tell a better story if it does.
jabelding
Gold Member
I went with the direct drive as well found a washdown motor and a bolt on gear box on ebay. I put a few fingers pointing down under the plate it really helps to fling out the feathers also did a spray around the rim helps a lot. Used a roof stink pipe seal around the shaft to keep water off the gear box. No Problem plucking chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese.
OP
rasorbackq
Platinum Member
How long are you scalding the ducks before plucking??
versysrider
New member
Nice work guy's.
DiskDoctr
Platinum Member
Looks good!
I've found 25-45 secs to scald chickens in a propane turkey fryer pot filled with just boiled water is about right. A little more if the feathers stick, a little less if ANY of the skin tears. If the skin tears, you just scald a little less. Change the water if it gets REALLY disgusting after a while.
I literally count out loud the seconds as I do all the stuff and hold the bird in the water. A good pair of heavy silicone gloves are important to avoid being scalded with the water. I think mine came from a Ronco Rotisserie.
I also count out loud the seconds in the chicken plucker. Again, enough to remove the feathers, not tear the skin. Don't worry about feathers on the neck, you cut that off anyways
Another tip is to get the shrinking freezer bags. After butchering and rinsing and soaking in ice water a bit, put one in a bag, clip it shut, poke a tiny hole in the bag up on the smooth breast area near the top of the bag, then dip it in another (clean water) turkey fryer with the hole just barely below the surface and pull it up out just as it stops bubbling out air. You don't want water getting inside your bag.
This is why the hole is over the breast area- the skin bulges well as the bag shrinks and makes a sort of 1-way valve.
Set the bagged bird in a cooler to drain and cool more. At some point (usually after a batch is done and we need the room), pull out each bird, DRY THE BAG completely, weigh it, and use a piece of quality freezer tape to cover the vent hole and write the weight and date on each bird and get to the fridge as soon as possible.
Now this part is IMPORTANT to fresh chicken. It needs 3-5 days of REST. Either in the fridge before freezing, or after thawing before cooking. We usually give them overnight in the fridge, freeze them, then when thawing later give another 2-3 days to thaw and rest. HUGE difference in the quality.
Studies have shown that resting after butchering and before freezing is best, but only a small difference if flash frozen and resting after thawed. This is how the meat packing industry does it.
IMHO, a day resting in the fridge to thoroughly cool all the way through, then freeze is the most "foolproof" way to prevent any problems and keep the birds the freshest tasting.
Of course, exception is made for one or two birds that get cooked after butchering. They rest in the fridge 2-3 days and go in the crock pot for about 6-8 hrs. Meat just falls off the bone and is...awesome
I'm planning to add a lung scraper with fresh water flow this year. It is supposed to really help cleaning the inside where my hands have trouble fitting.
We'll be culling roosters from this year's new flock next month or so, then planning on starting another 50-100 meat birds, depending how much help commits to butchering, LOL.
Butchering can be a real painfully tedious process if all by hand. A chicken plucker and a few key pieces of equipment can DRASTICALLY simplify and shorten your day.
BTW, I bought a Harbor Freight motor to put on ours and a couple of pulleys and belt. Added a tensioner from an old mower deck for the belt. I also place it all on a slight slope with the motor on the uphill side to keep it clean and free of the water as I spray the bird and clean between birds.
Have fun!!!
I've found 25-45 secs to scald chickens in a propane turkey fryer pot filled with just boiled water is about right. A little more if the feathers stick, a little less if ANY of the skin tears. If the skin tears, you just scald a little less. Change the water if it gets REALLY disgusting after a while.
I literally count out loud the seconds as I do all the stuff and hold the bird in the water. A good pair of heavy silicone gloves are important to avoid being scalded with the water. I think mine came from a Ronco Rotisserie.
I also count out loud the seconds in the chicken plucker. Again, enough to remove the feathers, not tear the skin. Don't worry about feathers on the neck, you cut that off anyways
Another tip is to get the shrinking freezer bags. After butchering and rinsing and soaking in ice water a bit, put one in a bag, clip it shut, poke a tiny hole in the bag up on the smooth breast area near the top of the bag, then dip it in another (clean water) turkey fryer with the hole just barely below the surface and pull it up out just as it stops bubbling out air. You don't want water getting inside your bag.
This is why the hole is over the breast area- the skin bulges well as the bag shrinks and makes a sort of 1-way valve.
Set the bagged bird in a cooler to drain and cool more. At some point (usually after a batch is done and we need the room), pull out each bird, DRY THE BAG completely, weigh it, and use a piece of quality freezer tape to cover the vent hole and write the weight and date on each bird and get to the fridge as soon as possible.
Now this part is IMPORTANT to fresh chicken. It needs 3-5 days of REST. Either in the fridge before freezing, or after thawing before cooking. We usually give them overnight in the fridge, freeze them, then when thawing later give another 2-3 days to thaw and rest. HUGE difference in the quality.
Studies have shown that resting after butchering and before freezing is best, but only a small difference if flash frozen and resting after thawed. This is how the meat packing industry does it.
IMHO, a day resting in the fridge to thoroughly cool all the way through, then freeze is the most "foolproof" way to prevent any problems and keep the birds the freshest tasting.
Of course, exception is made for one or two birds that get cooked after butchering. They rest in the fridge 2-3 days and go in the crock pot for about 6-8 hrs. Meat just falls off the bone and is...awesome
I'm planning to add a lung scraper with fresh water flow this year. It is supposed to really help cleaning the inside where my hands have trouble fitting.
We'll be culling roosters from this year's new flock next month or so, then planning on starting another 50-100 meat birds, depending how much help commits to butchering, LOL.
Butchering can be a real painfully tedious process if all by hand. A chicken plucker and a few key pieces of equipment can DRASTICALLY simplify and shorten your day.
BTW, I bought a Harbor Freight motor to put on ours and a couple of pulleys and belt. Added a tensioner from an old mower deck for the belt. I also place it all on a slight slope with the motor on the uphill side to keep it clean and free of the water as I spray the bird and clean between birds.
Have fun!!!
