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Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker [Paperback]

Herrick Kimball
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 2003
Every small-farm and backyard poultry producer dreams of a machine that will do the nasty job of feather plucking. With the publication of "Anyone Can Build A Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker" that dream can now be an affordable reality.

This book is a well organized and complete how-to guide to building a Whizbang feather plucking machine. A Whizbang plucker will pick the feathers off chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese in a matter of seconds. Just turn the machine on, drop one or more scalded birds into the tub and watch as rubber fingers flail the feathers off (whithout damaging the bird's skin).

Every component needed to make the machine is thoroughly discussed and the construction process is carefully detailed, step by step. There are 62 clear drawings. There is also a chapter dedicated to the subject of alternative construction options, as well as a chapter about other equipment used to process poultry. Mail order sources for parts are listed in the Resources chapter at the back of the book.

Commercial tub pluckers cost $2,000+ but this book tells the reader how to build a comparable unit for $500 or less. A Whizbang plucker will dutifully pluck thousands of birds for years to come.


Frequently Bought Together

Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker + Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Chicken Scalder + Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game
Price for all three: $50.41

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kimball assumes the reader knows nothing and walks you through the entire [construction] process" -- Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, Sept/Nov 2002

"The plan book is such a good resource...that BackHome now carries it in its plans stock" -- BackHome magazine, July/August 2002

"the construction process [is] explained so clearly that even a rank amateur should be able to build their own." -- American Pastured Poultry Producer's Association, newsletter #20

About the Author

Herrick Kimball is a chicken-pluckin' inventor and author. He lives in Moravia, New York.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 60 pages
  • Publisher: Whizbang Books (May 2003)
  • ISBN-10: 0972656448
  • ISBN-13: 978-0972656443
  • Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

This book helped me build my chicken plucker and it was great. Nicole McDowell  |  14 reviewers made a similar statement
This book really helped a lot. Peter A. Buckler  |  6 reviewers made a similar statement
I felt the author detailed the construction very well. Hugh B Bartlett  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Build it and your mouth will fall open in shock! July 6, 2003
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
When you buy this book and build this chicken plucker, your life will never be the same when processing chickens! We were certain that this plucker would be better than hand picking feathers. What was so shocking was that this plucker will COMPLETELY pluck two chickens in less than 30 seconds...leaving maybe one or two pinfeathers only! We never expected this, and when we first saw ours in action, it was shocking! No torn skin. You throw two birds in whole after bleedout, and and pull out two naked birds. We bought most of our parts new and building it cost us about $300--an excellent investment!
Paul & Linda Hawley
MillenialEve.com
Millenial Eve Organics LLC
Washington State
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny! July 13, 2011
Format:Paperback
I built this plucker last year and have now used it for several hundred birds including large turkeys. I purchased the welded shaft, featherplate, fingers and flywheel from the author and I can say without a doubt, his parts are of the highest quality! Even if you have no used parts laying around, the total cost and quality of this unit beats any pre-built, mass-produced plucker. It is powerful and efficient.

To save money, buy your hardware lag screws, etc at a Tractor Supply. They sell by the pound and that will save you big $$$ over using Home Depot or Lowe's. Belts, pulleys and pillow block bearings can also be found on line for very cheap. One of the reviewers here quoted prices at least twice as expensive as I found.

Good luck and happy plucking!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Easy November 9, 2006
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is done in a very easy, simple to follow format. I built this machine in less that two days. The best thing is that it really works just as he said that it would. It has saved us many, many hours of work! What a great book.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Expensive but works great January 31, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My husband built this for me last year using the plans in the book and I processed 91 chickens. The plans were relatively easy to follow but it does take quite a bit of time to put it all together. We had no parts laying around so everything had to be bought new and the cost was about $700. However, if you bought a readymade plucker of this size and power, you would have to pay about twice that much (a local friend bought a readymade one which cost over $1200 PLUS shipping).

If you have a lot of hardware, lumber, a plastic barrel and an old motor laying around your cost will be much less. The metal connecting hardware (lag bolts, screws etc) cost around $100 alone. Rather than buying the working parts from several places online and paying separate shipping I just bought everything I could direct from the author -- fingers, tub plastic, bottom plate and rod predrilled and ready to assemble, flywheel.

Putting in the fingers, especially in the bottom plate, can be difficult. We soaked them in hot, soapy water and used channel-lock pliers to pull them through. Grasp the finger and brace the top of the plier head on the plate pulling it sideways, then get a grip further down the finger and do the same in the opposite direction, until they pop into place.

We put a 1hp motor in (that itself was over $200) instead of the 3/4hp the book recommends but it still bogged down on a large turkey -- when I say large I mean about 40 lbs! For chickens it worked fantastic. I process alone so could only scald and pluck two at a time. 30 seconds or so and they were plucked naked except for occasionally a few feathers still hanging on to the wingtips, tail or in the "armpits". If you leave them in too long the fingers will start to beat the skin off...
... Read more ›
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars It really works January 12, 2007
Format:Paperback
We purchased this book, followed the plans, built the plucker. It works great. So far we have used it for turkeys. We plan to use it for broilers this spring and it should work wonderfully after seeing how it did with the turkeys.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Yahoo Groups Feedback From Readers of The Book July 25, 2003
By H.K.
Format:Paperback
I'm the author of this book and I'd like to post the following reader (and plucker-builder) comments found on a couple of Yahoo discussion groups about the book and the Whizbang Plucker. This is just a sampling of many positive comments about the book......

"this was our first year using a tub-style plucker.  In the past, we borrowed a neighbor's mechanical plucker that is on a stand and requires that you hold the bird while you pluck it.  I bought Herrick Kimball's "Whizbang Chicken Plucker" book and built my own.  Wow, what a difference! I was able to scald and pluck two chickens at a time.  With just my wife and myself working, we were able to do 125 chickens in one day."------------Dave L.
PasturePoultry Yahoo group message #16266

"I just got Herrick Kimballs "Anyone Can Build a Tub Style Mechanical Plucker" book. It is very well written and looks like the plucker would go together fairly easily"---------------"clodhopper 18844"
PasturePoultry Yahoo group message #13987

"I second the recommendation for Herrick Kimball's book and building your own plucker. We've successfully built our own and it works great!"-------------------Carrie
PasturePoultry Yahoo group message #13995

"I modified the plans somewhat using materials I had onhand or available......my friend borrowed it yesterday and reported that it is FANTASTIC....can't wait to use it to process our birds."---------------------"cheeky-cowboy-eh"
Whizbangchickenpluckers Yahoo group message #793

"just wanted to give an update on how my plucker did on its first batch of birds, we did 54 birds today, the plucker worked great.........

"Thank you, Herrick, for putting together a readable, funny and comprehensive book on how to build a tub style picker that works like a dream."-------------------Eric
Whizbangchickenplucker's Yahoo group message #121

"We do pheasant,quail,pigeon,chickens,turkey,ducksand geese with our plucker. The smaller the bird the more per run, up to 12 pigeons at a time........We will do on avg 40 to 50 muscovy ducks per weekend for our Asian customers......... I can not thank Herrick enough for sharing his book on how to build a plucker."----------------Lewis
Whizbangchickenpluckers Yahoo group message #863 Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for anyone who decides to build their own plucker
I am new to raising meat chickens and saw these pluckers in youtube videos. Originally I thought maybe we could just figure it out and build it without directions. Read more
Published 16 days ago by C. Coombs
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
This is a must book for anyone wanting to build an awesome plucker for poultry that works well. Great pictures. easy instructions. well put together.
Published 24 days ago by bdffouse69
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Well written, easy to follow instructions, easy to build. Nice to have for home processing. Will use this plucker a lot! Thanks for the instructions.
Published 29 days ago by KENNETH L. MOYER, JR
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read
I haven't built my plucker yet but after reading this book I don't anticipate any problems. If you can read and look at pictures you shouldn't have any trouble.
Published 1 month ago by K. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars How To
We built and used our chicken plucker. Love it! For the backyard farmer -it makes one chore so much easier.
Published 1 month ago by Pet mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
I felt the author detailed the construction very well. I have the parts to make my own based on his plan already ordered. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Hugh B Bartlett
5.0 out of 5 stars easy to understand
My son built his chicken plucker in one weekend and can hardly wait to use it. Theinstructions were easy to understand and the diagrams sure helped.
Published 3 months ago by SusanECrum
5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker
This tub-style plucker still works after over 8 years! We just store it outside, and it is very durable. It only plucks one chicken, however.
Published 4 months ago by Deb Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written how to
This pamphlet covers the how to, the whys and gives important tips. It also has parts lists and very good diagrams.
Published 4 months ago by leah
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
I raise chickens and hand plucking is the pits. This book helped me build my chicken plucker and it was great. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Nicole McDowell
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