Meat Chickens

[chocolate lab84]

We have 15 red broilers now and plan to kill them in about 6 more weeks. For those of you with experience raising meat chickens, where did you purchase the processing supplies? Seems like everyone online has the killing cones but the sizes vary. What about the plucker, did you purchase new or build one? This will probably be an ongoing thing so I don’t mind building or buying a decent plucker especially if I can use it on ducks also. Thanks

[Glenn]

Johnny Reb is your go to for info on this.

[trkykilr]

I have very little knowledge on this subject, however, can’t you just kill the chicken, gut it and pluck it?

[CurLee]

As much as a 3/4hp motor costs nowadays its not nearly as cost effective to build a plucker over buying one. I've done over 500 birds without a plucker but I will have one for this fall. We do 75 at a time now.
Big stainless pot for scalding is a must.
I made my cones from aluminum sheet. They last a lifetime. I've had friends bring road cones and a cone made from roofing tin. They all work.

[Johnny Reb]

Here are a few old pictures of my setup when I first started out 4+ years ago. Now I have a screened in slaughter shack and haven’t taken pictures in a long time.

Kill cones where made out of 5 gallon buckets, scalder was big pot over propane Turkey cooker, plucker is a Yardbird and was ordered online.

I do 50/day by myself. And then process cut-ups the following day.

CurLee or I can probably answer any questions you might have.











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[chocolate lab84]

Hell yeah. Thanks guys

[Smilee]

Traffic cone does great for killing cones.

I built a plucker but seem to have belt slip issues 20-25 birds into cleaning. Probably buy a Yardbird adventually.

[ecu1984]

I just learned somethings I had no idea about
This was interesting
Thanks

[chocolate lab84]

Processed 10 roosters Saturday. Didn't go the plucker route-still don't have 1, as I only skinned them and took the breast and leg quarters. Everything went well. I learned about 2 birds in, to wet the birds after killing and the feathers didn't stick to the meat. Made my kill cones out of 5 gallon buckets as suggested and they worked great. Just ordered 25 cornish cross chicks today for the next go round.