[Boots]

Hi all, not been on a forum before but Rosemary suggested I have a go at asking folks about this..

does anyone have specialist equipment for processing meat chickens at home? I've been watching american homesteaders on you tube with their killing cones and machine pluckers and would really like to get some of this equipment but I can't find anything online except the big industrial/tortured chicken farms machinery ...

I've done it all without the equipment for a few birds at a time but it is a long and tiring process.. specially where I have a chronic illness which means I don't have oodles of strength or energy. So I was hoping to make the task easier on myself.
Any ideas on where I might get hold of a plucking machine in particular?
grateful for any ideas or suggestions
thanks!   

[Charlie1234]

small pluckers on Ebay or convert an old spin drier by adding some rubber fingers also on Ebay for a few quid.

[macgro7]

You can find the killing cones relatively cheap, or you can make it. I have one, males the job cleaner but you could live without it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330811612491

Never used a plucked as too expensive for the amount of birds I do. Also I skin most chickens and muscovy ducks. Only pluck some chickens and geese (waterfowl are nightmare to pluck...)

[Womble]

I picked up an abandoned killing cone for free from a roadside ditch (you'll be amazed how many you find once you start looking).

As Charlie says, you can make your own plucker from a washing machine or spin dryer. Google whizbang chicken plucker for more information than you can shake a stick at.

The other things that I've found make life easier are a very sharp knife and sharpener (this needn't be expensive if you buy from a butcher's supply shop rather than John Lewis), plus a chainmail glove. The glove means you don't need to be as careful, so you can then go quicker.

HTH! 

[Alex_]

I have been researching this a lot recently for my own projects. I was planning on making a plucker with a couple of blue barrels I have laying around.

You can get the fingers on ebay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/72-96-Pcs-Chicken-Plucking-Fingers-Feather-Picker-For-Quail-Pigeon-Dove-Bantam/311878493798?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=610714183875&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

and you can get the spin by using an electric drill and some bits from an old bicycle.

I believe there are a few youtube videos on making one

[NethertonSH]

Buy tea urn, heat it to about 70-80 degrees and dunk the (dead) chicken in it for a minute. Makes all the feathers pull out very easily. A touch of fairy liquid helps with the smell.

[Bionic]

I've recently been on a chicken dispatch and gut course which was very interesting. We each did 2 chickens. The first one was dry plucked which was a pain in the backside, difficult to do and took ages. The second chicken was done by the hot water method. Water in a big container, just off the boil and dunk the bird for 30 seconds. Don't dunk for too long as it will start to cook the bird. Once dunked the feathers just wipe away really easily and it only took a fraction of the time.
If dunking in hot water be careful to make sure the bird has stopped flapping otherwise you will get scolded yourself.

[greenbeast]

Buy tea urn, heat it to about 70-80 degrees and dunk the (dead) chicken in it for a minute. Makes all the feathers pull out very easily. A touch of fairy liquid helps with the smell.

Worth experimenting up from 60+ degrees and 20s, till you get it spot on, so the feathers release but you aren't scalding the skin. We used to have it in memory but it's been a while.