Choosing The RIGHT Chicken Plucker | BEST 2024 Models

In a world where antibiotics are used on meat and where raising birds in small cages for their whole life has become industry standard, raising your own birds where you control these aspects can be a much better experience.

When it comes to harvesting your own birds, the process of plucking chickens can be the most time consuming and tedious part of the process we find. That's where chicken pluckers come in handy, we highly recommend using one of these machines for automating the feather removal process.

Chicken Harvest Day - Here's What We Do

We get together yearly with all of our neighbors to raise our own birds and then go through this process together. It is important to us to raise our own meat when we can, and so all of the photos in our article here is from one of our neighborhood harvesting days.

Why do we do this?

Personally, I feel that it is important to connect with the food we make and prepare. We are meat eaters, and so I want to ethically raise our chickens and appreciate the food we get from them.

I also hope to raise my kids on food that is not pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones when I can, and I want them to know and appreciate where their food comes from as well.

Here is my husband and dad with one of our neighbors working together on harvest day.

So, in this guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about chicken pluckers, from the most important features to consider when shopping, to other things to consider when raising birds for meat.

Why Raise Your Own Meat Birds?

Raising birds to harvest can offer a range of benefits. Firstly, it provides a direct source of high-quality, fresh meat that can be more cost-effective and more environmentally sustainable compared to commercially produced chickens.

By raising your own birds, you have control over their living conditions and diet, ensuring a healthier and more humane approach to animal farming.

Poultry bird farming can foster a deeper connection to food sources and a greater appreciation for sustainable living as well. When we raised our own birds for harvest, it was a very educational project for our two young children.

We really feel that it is good for kids (and adults) to truly understand where their food comes from, I find. Especially if you are a meat-eating family.

It really helps you appreciate the time and effort that goes into raising these birds in an ethical, non-commercial setting.

Overall, raising a bird for food can be a rewarding and educational experience while promoting ethical and sustainable practices in your family's food production.

What Other Birds Are Good for Meat?

On top of chickens, other similar sized birds and poultry are great to raise for harvesting, and these ones can also fit into a chicken plucker:

1. Guinea Fowl: Guinea's are relatively easy to raise for meat, as they are a hardy bird breed with good foraging abilities. They mature quickly, reaching harvesting size at around 12 to 16 weeks. At harvest, they typically weigh between 3 to 4 pounds.
   
   
2. Ducks: Ducks are generally easy to raise for meat. They mature faster than chickens, typically reaching harvesting size at 7 to 10 weeks. Ducks can weigh anywhere from 4 to 7 pounds at harvest, depending on the breed.
   To pluck ducks, they can be processed in chicken plucking machines, it's essential to ensure the equipment is adjusted for their larger size and waterproof feathers. Ducks are also fantastic foragers, helping as well with pest control, especially if you have a garden.
   
   
3. Turkeys: Raising a turkey for meat can be slightly more demanding than other poultry, but they offer larger yields. These bird breeds typically take 14 to 20 weeks to mature for harvesting. At this point, their weight can range from 14 to 30 pounds, depending on the breed. They may not fit into standard chicken plucking machines due to their size, but there are specialized turkey pluckers available, otherwise you can raise a small turkeys and harvest sooner.
   
   
4. Quail: Quail are known for their rapid growth, making them relatively easy to raise for meat production. Depending on the breed, quail can reach harvesting size in just 6 to 8 weeks.
   At harvest, they typically weigh between 7 to 12 ounces. Due to their smaller size, quail can fit into chicken plucking machines, simplifying the processing stage.
   
   
5. Wild Game: Wild birds can be great for harvesting, including pheasant, grouse, ptarmigan, and geese. These birds obviously vary in size from small to large.

Understanding How Chicken Pluckers Work

To buy a good plucker, it is so important to understand first how they work.

A chicken plucker is a specialized machine, designed to efficiently remove feathers from a chicken in an efficient and clean way, making the processing of growing your very own birds for meat much more manageable.

These devices typically consist of rotating rubber plucking fingers that gently but effectively strip feathers from the bird's carcass without damaging the meat.

How chicken plucker fingers remove feathers

A chicken plucker operates on a simple, yet effective principle. The rotating rubber fingers grab onto the feathers and pull them out as the carcass moves through the machine.

The rotating motion ensures thorough plucking without damaging the skin or muscle tissue (at least if you buy a good quality machine, it shouldn't cause damage!). We are here to help you decide on a great machine for your own needs.

Important Features to Consider When Shopping for a Chicken Plucker

Investing in a chicken plucker requires careful consideration of different features to make sure you get the best value for your money. It is an investment that will save you hours upon hours of work, and can even be a profitable investment if you end up renting it out!

Here are the key aspects to consider for your poultry processing:

1. Plucking Capacity

Consider the plucking capacity of your machine, which refers to the number of birds it can process at once. Choose a chicken plucker that aligns with the scale of your chicken-raising operation. You can also consider how fast it can pluck a single chicken if it only fits one at a time.

2. Feather Removal Efficiency

Efficiency is crucial. Look for a plucker with rotating fingers that effectively remove feathers without causing damage to the muscles or skin. This ensures a clean and professional finish.

3. Durability and Build Quality

A durable machine made by heavy duty construction is a long-term investment, and you will be happy on your processing day, I will say that! Opt for a chicken plucker made from sturdy materials that can withstand regular use.

4. Easy to Clean and Maintain

Cleaning and maintaining the plucker should be a straightforward process. Choose a model with accessible parts and a design that minimizes the risk of bacterial buildup. Bonus if it can hook right up to your garden hose outside.

5. Size and Portability

Consider the available space in your processing area and the portability of the plucker. Some models are compact and easy to move, while others may require a more permanent setup.

Here are the BEST Chicken Pluckers:

1.The Yarbird Chicken Plucker

Check price of this specific model on Amazon

This particular model by Yardbird is the most popular chicken plucker model out there in terms of reliability, power, plucking process, and how easy it is to clean feathers from.

Why we recommend this model:

We personally own, use and love our Yardbird and last used it with our turkeys this summer, the following photos are of our Yardbird and also with the biggest bird we've had in it; a 20lb turkey:

The key features of Yardbird chicken plucker include:

• 1.5 HP motor
• 20-inch drum
• 110 natural soft fingers
• Stainless steel drum
• Easy to move around
• Easy to clean
• 1 year warranty

One notable feature of this model is the irrigation ring, which allows you to connect your garden hose right to is for water flow during its operation, which is a huge bonus for plucking efficiency. This design helps keep the process cleaner and more sanitary.

Here's what ours looks like:

(The photo above is a bit blurred because it's a screenshot of a video I took of it in action with the rubber fingers spinning, stay tuned to our YouTube channel I'll have to get that video up there!)

This model also has a debris collection system which adds to the user-friendly design, making cleanup much easier. This one is suitable for small (ie: backyard sized) poultry keepers to medium-scale poultry operations and can fit a range of bird sizes.

Our turkeys cleaned up beautifully in this machine, and it didn't take long. The skin didn't tear, and there was very minimal extra feathers to pull out by hand afterwards, maybe a few.

Here's our nearly finished birds:

We personally, highly recommend this model, it is easy to use, can handle small to large birds, cleans up easily and is also super easy to move around and store.

See price of the exact model of recommended chicken plucker by Yardbird.

2.The Superhandy Chicken Plucker

Check price of this model here

So, the SuperHandy Chicken Plucker is a beast with its 1HP motor and 92 soft fingers, making feather removal a breeze.

Plus, it's built tough with stainless steel, designed for farms and food processing facilities – a solid choice for efficient and reliable poultry processing.

The key features of the Superhandy model include:

• 1 HP motor
• 20-inch drum
• 92 natural soft fingers
• Stainless steel drum
• Easy to move around
• Easy to clean
• No Warranty

This model is not only compact and robust, making it a breeze for storage, transport, and maneuvering with those handy two wheels, but it also boasts a premium 403 Brushed Stainless Steel body and base. No worrying about rust.

Now, when it comes to professional capabilities, this plucker can reliably process 2-4 birds in just 15-30 seconds each. Imagine that; 3-4 birds done in under 2 minutes! And it ensures proper scalding, too, so you're getting top-notch results every time.

3.The Kitchener Chicken Plucker

Check price of this model here

This is a sturdy poultry processing solution with a 1HP motor, 280 RPM, and a 20-inch drum featuring 92 soft fingers. Compact and easy to maneuver with two wheels, it's crafted from 403 Brushed Stainless Steel for rust-free durability.

The key features of this Kitchener Chicken Plucker model include:

• 1 HP Motor
• 20-inch Drum
• 92 Natural Soft Fingers
• Capacity: 2-4 chickens at a time
• Stainless steel construction
• No Warranty

Ideal for farms and food processing, this plucker is a robust choice for heavy-duty use.

In summary, the Kitchener Chicken Plucker offers reliable and efficient poultry processing, but remember the safety guidelines and ensure it meets your specific needs.

4.Vevor Chicken Poultry Plucker

See this particular model on Amazon here

This machine can handle 4-6 chickens simultaneously, ensuring efficiency and durability.

For added convenience, it features a built-in water pipe, an on/off switch, and 4 mobile wheels for easy maneuverability. The water connection guarantees consistent speed and efficiency during feather removal.

The key features of this Kitchener Chicken Plucker model include:

• 2.95 HP motor
• 23.6" drum
• 142 soft, rubber fingers
• Capacity: 4-6 Chickens at a time
• Stainless steel drum
• No Warranty

While designed for 4-6 chickens, it's recommended to pluck one at a time to prevent over-bruising the meat.

This versatile tool is perfect for various birds like Chickens, Bantam Chickens, Turkey, Guinea Fowl, Quail, and similar-sized poultry.

COMPARING the 4 Plucker Models we listed:

Alright, let's break it down.

So, the SuperHandy and Kitchener models are pretty similar – both packing a 1HP motor, 280RPM, and a 20-inch drum. They're all about durability and pro-level work.

Now, the VEVOR is a bit different, running on 2.95 HP power and having a water pipe for feather removal. It can handle 4-6 chickens at once, which is a bit more than the others.

On another hand, the Yardbird chicken plucker is flexing a 1.5 HP motor, 300 RPM, and 110 natural fingers for gentle feather removal. It's got safety features like a drum-sensing switch, and cleaning is easy with a removable stainless steel drum.

So, each machine is made from durable materials ,has high quality construction and works at optimal performance. The difference seems to lie in the HP, the amount of rubber fingers as well as the warranty and the customer reviews.

Our thoughts: The Yardbird chicken plucker is by far the most popular model and is most widely used by home owners who raise their own backyard birds for meat.

What is really nice about the Yardbird, is, and this is one of their standout features, is the integrated irrigation ring to help make cleaning easy, plus, it defeathers a chicken in 15 seconds.

Chicken Plucker Price and Customer Rating Comparisons

Compare all 4 of the exact models we recommended on Amazon, they will open in 4 separate windows.

*Be sure to look at price as well as customer reviews if you want to look into it yourself:

Yardbird

Superhandy

Kitchener

Vevor

Summary: What to Look for in a Chicken Plucker

These features are all about saving time through investing in a high quality product that is fast, easy and efficient.

• Machine's Capacity
• Efficient de feathering
• Durability and Build Quality
• Easy to Clean (usually with a hose) and Maintain
• Can it clean multiple birds
• Size and Portability'
• Handy power switch
• Easy storage

FAQs: Common Questions About Chicken Pluckers

Q1: Can a chicken plucker be used for other poultry, such as turkeys or ducks?

A1: Yes, many pluckers can be used fot turkeys and ducks. They are versatile and can be adjusted to accommodate larger birds which will save time and money in having to invest in separate pluckers per bird size (ie: a turkey or geese).

Q2: How often should I clean my chicken plucker?

A2: Regular cleaning of your chicken plucker is essential. Depending on usage, it's advisable to clean the plucker after each processing session with a hose and water, and then to give it a good, thorough sanitizing to maintain hygiene.

Q3: Are there specific safety precautions when using chicken pluckers?

A3: Yes, follow the manufacturer's safety guidelines. Ensure that the machine is turned off before any maintenance, and wear appropriate protective gear.

Q4: Can chicken pluckers be used for small-scale operations?

A4: Absolutely, there are models designed for small-scale or backyard operations. Consider the plucking capacity that suits your needs.

Q5: Can I put a frozen chicken in a chicken plucker?

Never pluck chickens or poultry that are frozen – this is a key safety feature to know for any chicken plucker model out there. These are meant for fresh animals, never frozen, even if it does have adjustable speed settings.

Q5: Where can I find replacement parts for my chicken plucker?

A5: Many manufacturers offer replacement parts. Check with the manufacturer or authorized dealers for the specific parts you need.

Navigating the world of chicken pluckers can be overwhelming, but armed with the right information, you can confidently choose the best one for your homegrown birds.

Here are some other chicken-related articles you may be interested in reading:

Best Automatic Chicken Coop Doors To Make Your Life Easier

How To Predator Proof Your Coop

The Mask You Need For Cleaning Out A Coop

Best Chicken Egg Incubator

Automatic Chicken Waterers

How To Keep Chickens Warm In The Winter Without Electricity

Best Chicken Coop Cameras To Keep Your Flock Safe

Did you like this article?

❤️ Here's how you can support our blog:

My name is Linnea and I am a backyard gardening enthusiast! Along with my husband and our two kids (and chickens, ducks, honey bees and our little dog). Our hobby - growing our own food and making our meals from scratch. My blog, The Farmers Cupboard, is the website that blossomed from that passion. I love every second I spend sharing our hobby with like minded backyard growers.

It's easy to support my blog, and it is so appreciated. Please SHARE an article somewhere, pin a photo to your Pinterest board, follow on any of our social medias or sign up for our newsletter! That's it!

These little things help our blog grow and allow us to continue doing what we love: growing good food and sharing what we learn.

PINTEREST PASSIONATE? We're opening up our cupboard to you!

Click on the pin below made just for you. It will bring you right to my little Pinterest community, where I would love for you to FOLLOW The Farmers Cupboard and see all of our gardening and backyard dream ideas!

Let's grow good things together!