Lets Build a drum plucker

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:26 am

Did that chicken go in the plucker dry or do you have to scald first? Also I was thinking that if it were mine, I'd put some kind of shield over top of the pulley. Any idea of what rpm's you need?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:17 am

the pulley is completely covered with the plastic shield that covered the motor from water on the washer. what you cant see and I never took a pic of is a rubber spring loaded gromet that presses onto the base of the drum in between the plate. it came off the washer and stayed on... it keeps water from gettin in there.

well my rpms are a little hot but my motor is under powered so I think its guna work out.

scalding is definitely the way to go.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:34 am

im running 492.8 rpm 150-200 is recommended.

I have a 1/3 hp motor 3/4 is recommended

so I think ill be ok.... if my hose isnt froze im guna find out today! and on a big note so far this has only cost me 7 dollars for a belt I didnt use... heeeehaaaaaaa! not including the fingers of course. that was my only big expense.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:17 am

Wow that looks like an awful lot of work, hope it works really well, show us some pictures.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:22 am

Thanks Kenya! yeah it was a whole lot of unnecessary work to make a pretty plucker

im about to head out and boil some water!

stay tuned!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 1:23 pm

Do you think it would be possible to build a bicycle driven plucker?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 2:35 pm

sure Robbie if you had someone willing to peddle it!

Ok so I had success and failure. thats all apart of the process. I think I need some more fingers around the bottom of the drum and or the 3/4 hp motor. I vote both so ill be tearing it apart in the next few days. the bird would get jammed around the bottom every 5 seconds stopping the motor, I first removed the feet and that did help a bit. so after about 10, 5 second times in the plucker the bird was 90% cleaned, not bad. we did 5 birds, leghorn, Ameraucana and crosses between them. the crosses were nice meaty birds. I cant believe how small a 3 year old leghorn cock is, crazy.

I did a video of the first bird in the plucker, its a 2 part and ill figure out how to post it after im done cleaning up the mess. man there is a crap load of feathers from those birds!!!

Either way im still a happy man!

: 3 year old leghorn cock.

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 4:20 pm

well I went and made a youtube account and uploaded the videos... lets see if this works... I gotta warn ya it might make you dizzy.

here goes

pt1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U1e7D21l3o

pt2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTe5lOvcdQE

Bayvistafarm · Post by **Bayvistafarm** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 4:52 pm

lol. Looks like a lot of fun!! I am sure it will be perfect with some tweaking. Your pretty handy!!

Would taking off the wings help?? I mean... theres not much meat on them anyhow.... maybe it would help?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:00 pm

Thanks BVF! well I didnt really show how they are getting jammed but I have to big of a gap between the fingers so the bird is able to get right up against the drum and stop the motor... I was trying not to use up all the fingers but it looks like I may have to. but the design does work great. the feathers came right out the shoot. sweet deal!

yup just some tweaking!