2025 Yardbird Chicken Plucker REVIEW- Why We Chose THIS Model

If you’ve ever processed chickens, turkey or other poultry by hand, you know that plucking feathers is easily the worst part of the job. It’s messy, time-consuming, and no matter how much effort you put in, there’s always that one stubborn pin feather that refuses to come out.

That’s where the Yardbird Chicken Plucker comes in. This machine has been a total game-changer for us on our small backyard hobby farm, and I can't recommend it enough.

We’ve been raising backyard chickens and turkeys for years, and when it comes time to process them, this plucker makes all the difference. If you’re tired of hand-plucking (or using that attachment on your drill which we HIGHLY do not recommend doing) and you are looking for a way to make processing easier or faster, this is the tool you need.

We have tried many of the (quote, unquote) best chicken pluckers out there, and here is our real review of the Yardbird, and why we decided to purchase this plucking machine over the others we have used over the years.

Why the Yardbird Chicken Plucker is a Must-Have

See it here

The Difference This Plucking Machine Makes

Plucking by hand is not worth it. Before we got our own Yardbird, we used to look on Facebook and rent machines, year after year. We would try different models (whatever was available) and would go an pick it up with the truck and try it out.

We realized that yes, having a chicken plucker is game changing, and we finally decided we needed to get one of our own. It was much more expensive in the long run renting them out year after year and getting machines that were not cleaned as well or older machines that took longer.

The first time we used a Yardbird Chicken Plucker, I was blown away. In about 15 seconds, the bird was completely plucked—no mess, no hassle, just a clean bird ready to be processed. It saved us so much time that I honestly couldn’t believe we didn’t get one sooner. And out of the machines we tried, this was by far our favorite.

If you process birds, even occasionally, this plucker is worth every penny and I will go into detail why and even share some of our backyard videos showing the Yardbird chicken plucker in use.

Yardbird Plucker Features That Make It Stand Out

This isn’t just any plucker—it has some really well-thought-out features that make it work smoothly and efficiently.

Powerful Motor & Stainless Steel Drum

• The 1.5 HP motor is strong enough to handle multiple birds at a time if you are working with smaller chickens. If you are using it for turkeys, one turkey at a time works perfectly. We used it on a 20lb turkey this summer! I'll share that video with you below.

• The stainless steel drum is easy to clean and built to last, and stainless steel is the only way to go for a tub in these machines.

Here we are looking at the motor of the Yardbird:

110 Rubber Fingers for Maximum Plucking

• The plucking fingers are made of rubber, which means they’re gentle on the skin while still getting every feather out. Just feeling them, they are super grippy on the skin.

Check out the rubber fingers in this chicken plucker without the drum around them:

Built-in Water Irrigation System with Hose Connection

• This built in irrigation ring feature lets you run water directly into the drum while the plucker is running, washing away the feathers as you go. This irrigation ring keeps the whole process cleaner and easier. Simply attach your garden hose and turn on. We had a valve on our garden hose so we could control the water in the drum right at the drum instead of running back to turn the hose off or on.

Here is how the water comes into the drum:

Feather Chute for Less Mess

• Instead of feathers flying everywhere, they funnel out through a chute, making cleanup a lot easier. You will see in our unboxing video of the Yardbird chicken plucker that there are a few big rubber fingers underneath the plate that spins, and this is to help guide the feathers to the hole in the bottom plate so they fall out easier. It definitely made for an easy clean up.

Here is a look at the fingers underneath- you actually have to put these in yourself, highly recommend watching our assembly video because these were hard to pull through, you really have to force them in and we show this in our video (bookmark this article if you are thinking of buying this plucker so you have reference to what I am talking about later, here).

Solid Wheels for Easy Moving

• Unlike some bulky pluckers, this one has sturdy rubber wheels, so you can roll it around instead of awkwardly carrying it which we really liked.

Does the Yardbird Plucker Work for Turkeys?

See the exact model we are reviewing here

One of the biggest questions I had before buying the Yardbird was whether or not it could handle turkeys.

Every spring we get dozens of turkeys. We raise and sell most of them and always keep several for ourselves, so when we were doing our initial testing and research, this seemed like it would handle turkeys well.

Our Experience Plucking Turkeys in the Yardbird

For smaller turkeys (10-12 lbs), it works really great. The largest turkey we tried in the Yardbird chicken plucker was 20lbs. It was definitely noticeable, the larger size difference, but it worked just as well.

Here is our 15lb turkey halfway through the plucking process in the Yardbird:

We haven't tried a bird weight much heaver than a 20lb bird- simply because that would be too large for our family of 4. I would assume though that you wouldn't be able to go much heavier than a 25lb. bird- haven't tried that yet but if we do I will be sure to pop back in here and add my thoughts!

My Advice on Putting Turkeys Through this Chicken Plucker

You do have to be careful when plucking turkeys and larger birds in this machine though as you kind of have to guide them while they spin in the drum. If they were left on their own like a hands-free chicken, they would get stuck and the rubber fingers would rub on the skin a bit too much in certain areas.

Here is an example of what I am talking about with the larger birds:

What we do to prevent this is hold the turkey by the legs or neck and help guide it around the barrel as it spins. You'll see what I mean in our video below.

But for chickens, ducks, and even some smaller geese, this plucker works perfectly.

Here is the video on our YouTube channel showing us plucking turkeys in the Yardbird chicken plucker:

Check our our channel here and please subscribe if you like this content!

How to Use a Chicken Plucker for the Best Results

Using a chicken plucker is super easy, but there are a few things you need to do to make sure you get the best results.

1. Scald Your Birds Properly

• This is critical. If your bird isn’t scalded well, the plucker won’t work as effectively.

• You want the water between 145°F and 155°F, and the skin should feel waxy and soft. If the feathers don’t come out easily by hand, they won’t come out in the plucker either (again we show this in our video above with our turkeys).

2. Don’t Overload It

• The Yardbird can handle two chickens at a time, but don’t try to cram too many in there at once. If you are processing turkeys, 1 at a time is what you can do.

• If you overload it, the birds won’t tumble properly, and you’ll end up with a partially plucked mess or rub marks on the skin.

3. Keep the Water Flowing

• The built-in irrigation system helps rinse away feathers as you pluck, so make sure you have a hose hooked up and running.

4. Clean It After Each Use

• Back yard chicken processing can get messy. The last thing you want is old feathers left in the drum the next time you use it.

• A quick rinse with a hose and wiping down the drum keeps it working like new. We keep a spray bottle with some bleach in it around when we are processing our birds, just to kill anything. So we spray down the drum and rinse it after our use, as well as the table we are working on. We just make sure everything is rinsed well with water afterwards.

Pros and Cons of the Yardbird Chicken Plucker

Pros:

✔ Saves SO much time – No more hand-plucking or drill bit attachments. And like I said above, having your own rather than finding one to rent every year is amazing (and maybe you want to go ahead and rent yours out so it pays for itself!)
✔ Easy to use – Just scald your bird with the scalding process, turn it on, and let it do the work. If it is a chicken it will be hands free and you can do 1-2 at a time, or a turkey you do 1 at a time and guide it around by the legs. The Yardbird has a great size drum for doing small to very large birds adn was a huge selling feature for us.
✔ Cleans up easily – The water system is evenly spaced around the top of the drum and feather chute with the guiding feather fingers keep mess to a minimum.
✔ Durable build – Stainless steel drum and strong motor.
✔ Works for different poultry – The Yardbird chicken plucker works well for chickens, ducks, and turkeys- the biggest selling point for our family.

Cons:

✘ It’s an investment – It’s not cheap, but if you process birds regularly, it’s 100% worth it, and you could rent yours out if you wanted it to pay for itself in cash.
✘ Loud – Like most pluckers, it’s a bit noisy, but it’s only running for a short time.

Final Thoughts – Is the Yardbird Chicken Plucker Worth It?

Absolutely- if you are thinking about getting one, honestly, do it. If you raise your own chickens or turkeys for meat, this plucker is a must-have. It takes what used to be the hardest, most time-consuming part of processing and makes it quick and effortless. And the size of the Yardbird plucker makes it versatile for any bird- it's the standard chicken plucker and it is reliable and easy to assemble and use.

We’ve used the Yardbird for multiple processing days now over the years, and I can’t imagine using anything else. It saves time, reduces stress, and lets us process our birds cleanly and efficiently and it perfectly fits in your turkeys.

Would I recommend it? 100% YES.

See this Yardbird Chicken Plucker we reviewed HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you pluck a turkey with the Yardbird Chicken Plucker?

Yes you can absolutely pluck turkeys in the Yardbird chicken plucker. It processed our 15lb turkeys beautifully and as you can see in our video, the 20lb went well also.

2. Does it work on ducks and geese?

Yes! Ducks and geese can be plucked with the Yardbird, but since they have more down feathers, you may need to scald them a little longer.

3. How long does it take to pluck a chicken?

It takes about 15 seconds to pluck a bird in the Yardbird chicken plucker! Once scalded properly, the Yardbird makes quick work of plucking. Larger birds may take about double that time.

4. How hard is it to clean?

It is not hard to clean the Yardbird chicken plucker at all. The feather chute and guiding fingers help reduce any mess, and a quick rinse with a hose after use keeps it clean.

5. Is the Yardbird chicken plucker easy to assemble?

Yes! The Yardbird chicken plucker is EASY to assemble and takes about 15-20 minutes, and the instructions are clear. Watch our unboxing and assembly video right here:

Final Word

If you’re still hand-plucking your chickens, do yourself a favor and get a Yardbird Chicken Plucker. It makes processing day so much easier and will save you countless hours over time. It’s been one of the best investments we’ve made for our backyard farm, and I wouldn’t go without it.

Got questions about the Yardbird Chicken Plucker? Drop them in the comments—I’d be happy to help!

Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel- we have a few more videos on how to process turkeys as well as how to use shrink bags on your finished chickens and turkeys before putting them in the freezer.

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

• The Mask You Need For Cleaning Out A Coop: See the mask we use for this and many other jobs around the house. It is 1 size fits all so anyone can wear it! We always wear ours, especially when it is hot and the dust (and other particles) are flying...
  
  
• Automatic Chicken Waterers: These are the best if you don't want to refill so often, plus soo the heated options you can use in the winter.
  
  
• Best Chicken Egg Incubator: It took us years to find the ones we liked, and these will give you the best success rates for hatching your own chicks.
  
  
• Best Chicken Coop Cameras To Keep Your Flock Safe: Get real time notifications of the predators coming in your coop, or find out who is pecking and breaking your eggs!
  
  
• Chicken Saddles To Protect Hens From Roosters: This is a game changer if you have a really aggressive roo who is clawing the feathers off of your hens.
  
  
• Best Ways To Bear Proof Your Coop: Bear proof or predator proof, these are some tried and tested methods.

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