Any reviews on the featherman pro?

[Brunty_Farms]

Does anyone own one? Looking for reviews.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

So nobody out there has used this machine?? Without the reviews I was looking for I still went ahead and decided to get one. I got the combo thing from the featherman.net site. I guess these guys are the distributors for this plucker...

http://www.featherman.net/pluckers.html#SetUpChillTank

I got the whole shabang for like $3,330 bucks.... expensive but it will be worth it in the long run. I've been putting this off like most of the hatchohalics put off buying a cabinet incubator.....

Does the Whizbang do a good job as well? I guess that would be the next best thing to compare it to....

I will take pics when it comes in....

 

[jaku]

Just out of curiousity, why didn't you build a Whizbang? I built the plucker and scalder for about $600 total, and I can't imagine anything would do any better, let alone to justify $3300!!

 

[I love speckled hen]

We have used the Featherman Gamebird for over a year. However, we will not disclose our opinion here. Email me, and we will discuss.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I'm processing 200 every two weeks so I wanted something that is going to last and to say the least to have a warranty. Secondly I'm not the least bit handy when it comes to building anything from scratch... and lastly and the most important.... I've already run myself too thin with attending two markets.... 200 broilers every two weeks.... 500 turkeys on their way.... and 300 some odd layers. Finding time is the number one reason why I just don't build my own.

Well with that said... how does your scalder and plucker work as far as pin feathers? For the price I'm paying I don't want to have to mess with any except for a few on the wings....

I will send you a pm.... thanks.

 

[Peruvian]

I love my Whizbang but if I was doing that kind of production, I agree I wouldn't want a 'homemade' plucker that could die half way through the season. It wouldn't be worth the risk.

Tough to make back $3300 on broilers though.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Doing that much, I'd definitely agree on the scalder- if you look at the scalder page I made, the Whizbang scalder (while it works really good,) has a lot of parts/connections that I could see failing. Honestly, though, with the plucker, it's really simply constructed, easy to construct, and doesn't have much to break, especially if you use a sealed motor. Heck, even if the motor breaks down, you can just slap a new one on in a few minutes. I have little to NO knowledge of things mechanical, but Kimball does such a great job with his instruction manuals, that literally almost anyone can build something like this. It does take a bit of time, though, which sounds like it would be the downfall for your situation.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Around here the price for processing is $4/bird. $3300 = 825 birds or about 2 months worth for Brunty.

I realize that there is labor involved and this means virtually all profits are going directly to equipment, but it doesn't seem like it will take a very long time to make it back. Setting aside $1 per bird for the equipment would pay for it in about 8 months.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Ya, I figured it out... by thanksgiving I will break even just by only throwing a few dollars / bird towards the plucker each week. It will make my life so much easier.

For example it took me two days to do a bit over 160 or so. I should be able to do that in a morning with the new equipment I have freeing up my personal time so I can kind of enjoy some of the summer... or to devote the time into something else. It's all about being efficient but it's tough to swallow when you spend that kind of money for equipment.

My little table top plucker though has been a champ.... it has definately proved to hold it's weight in gold in these last 7 years or so. But it's time to set it aside for now and get down to buisness.....

Jaku,
I did see your scalder, it looks like you have to have access to a place where you can get the parts. I would have to buy everything off of e-bay... or some other part store that carries it.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

I've got a featherman gamebird. The only thing I would change is it needs a lid. You can't peek in to check the birds without getting splashed.
I've used it to pluck everything from quail to turkeys. Haven't had much luck plucking ducks but that's a problem with the scald not getting all the way through the down. Smaller quail like coturnix can jam up between the fingers. Larger quail like A&M's pluck clean in about 10 seconds.
The featherman.net site is not just the distributer they are the owner, developer. I was told when I bought from them we got an extra year on the waranty vs buying through someone else.