Build a chicken plucker
When processing your own chickens, the most time-consuming part is plucking the feathers. Making a chicken plucker to automate that part can be done using cheap or re-purposed parts. The main elements of a homemade chicken plucker include a 55-gallon drum and some plucking fingers.
Instructions
1. Cut the 55-gallon drum two-thirds from the top. Discard the part with the bottom.
2. Use a ¾-inch drill bit (or whatever the plucking fingers you purchased calls for) to drill 50 evenly spread holes in the lid.
3. Drill 70 holes around the perimeter of the drum, keeping those holes 12 inches from the bottom.
4. Install the fingers in the holes of both the lid and the drum.
5. Build a mount using 2-by-4 lumber so the drum fits snugly into it. Leave 18 inches between the bottom of the drum and the ground. Make sure the bottom of the drum is level and secure it to the mount.
6. Cut a round plywood piece the size of the lid. Use a pen to mark the outside of the lid on the wood and a jigsaw to cut the piece.
7. Screw the shaft to the bottom of the plywood disc. Use two 2-by-4 pieces of lumber attached to the mount to secure the disc 1 inch under the bottom of the drum. Put one piece on top and one at the bottom of the shaft to keep it aligned. Screw the motor to the mount and install the drive belt.
8. Screw the lid with the fingers pointing up to the plywood disc.
9. Plug in the motor and test the system. The disc should not touch the side of the mount or the drum.
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