Freezer Camp With My Dad's Old Plucker. Graphic Pictures Of Chicken Going To Freezer Camp.

Well 5 went to freezer camp today on dad's old plucker. I have to rewire a switch to turn it off and on, but works like a champ. The rubber fingers are 35 year old and still work.
All was good for my first time in 35 years, heheh. I use to be the gizzard butcher when I was 5 .
Thanks TruNorth for the big boys. I have not put them on a scale but can later this week and will post the weights of the boys.  
Here are the pictures...
The 4  boy from TruNorth look like these one. 
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Yes Nika is ready for a chicken neck or two  . Dad's good girl.

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These boys are from this hatch, a little old but will slow cook them at 200...
Will let you know how they taste.

I have a similar looking plucker, mine is inside a wooden cabinet though.

Our plucker is similar, but the drum, instead of being slightly below the little shelf area, sits level with it. Instead of flinging the feathers downward like this model, ours flings them up and all over the place. It makes a HUGE mess! Maybe it had a cabinet at one time. As it is, we have to rig a hanging tarp to catch the feathers.

Yours does a nice job BCBoy. You didn't find the fingers too hard in this weather, ripping the skin?

uno wrote:
Yours does a nice job BCBoy. You didn't find the fingers too hard in this weather, ripping the skin?

No the the skin did not rip. The water temperature was at 150.

That is just awesome, olden day stuff was built to last, nice to see. Ya, cook those babies for a long time, from one who knows....anything over 24 weeks, I would go more than 2.5 hours at 250 degrees. have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

What do you use for a dipping tank. I converted an old water heater. Left the heating element in the bottom with the thermostat attached to the outside of the tank, I can set the temp where I want it and it stays works great. I have a pluck with a tin cabinet. I picked it up at Armstrong auction.

Last time we did meaties, we lit a fire under a big cauldron thingy. Once the water is hot, the head chopping begins.

Our plucker looks very similar to yours. They do a great job as long as the water is the correct temperature when you dip them. Good for you for doing your own butchering. You never really forget how its done, but a person does get out of practice. What weight did your roosters dress out at?

bckev wrote:What do you use for a dipping tank. I converted an old water heater. Left the heating element in the bottom with the thermostat attached to the outside of the tank, I can set the temp where I want it and it stays works great. I have a pluck with a tin cabinet. I picked it up at Armstrong auction.

Did you see that small hot water heater in the back ground? Yes that is what I'm going to make. Just have to have the time to cut the top off and wire a cord to it.  

Good job Bcboy.

Oh this is funny. When you spoke about using a hot water tank, I pictured a 40 gallon one, a big one, and then this last post you asked if anyone had seen the small hot water tank in the background. I am smiling. That makes more sense. To heat up a 40 gallon tank for dipping birds in would be quite the undertaking. That in the picture is about a 10 gallon one. I have gone through a couple of those in my greenhouse when I used to operate my nursery. Shoulda kept those tanks, never thought about anything they could be used in the future for. Now really thinking. Bet I could bath chickens outside in an old hot water tank, my Husband is an excellent electrician, so I bet he coulda worked magic with that. Good idea for plans. A hot water tank with no top on it would be a wonderful addition to my chicken barn!! Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

Here are a couple of pictures of the dressed birds. The 5 birds were rested for 4 days in the fridge.


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The weights are 3lb 15oz, 4lb 8oz, 4lb 9oz, 4lb, 4lb 15oz and 17 month old ISA rooster weight 5lb 1oz.