Water plucking?

[Dogfish]

A thought came to me yesterday while I was cleaning up the processing equipment a second time. Has anybody ever used one of those little firehose type hose end fittings to take feathers off a bird? These are the kind that direct the water into a fine 1/4" jet of water, perfect for cleaning the driveway, etc. I know the feathers just about fall off after a good scald, and thinking about the abrasive nature of water in a tight stream, have any of you ever done it?

I use a hose to take scales off salmon, maybe I'll have to give it a shot.

 

[dancingbear]

That would be cool if it works, and doesn't take the skin off as well.

Let us know, it could be interesting. I'm not sure I have enough water pressure here, to do the trick. Next time I butcher, I might give it a try with my garden hose nozzle set on the tightest, hardest stream.

 

[Dogfish]

We'll know in a few weeks when I cull another one of my CX.

 

[annageckos]

Well, some taxidermist use a high pressure water nozzle to help flesh the fat and membrane off skins. It may work. But it may also take the skin right off seeing how thin and delicate poultry skin is. Give it a shot and see if it works for you.

 

[uhuh555]

Seen it tried. Tears the skin and leaves large pockets of water under the skin. It was quicker to hand pluck with soft rubber knobbed gloves while the chicken is hanging by their feet from an overhead bar or tree limb.

 

[BackyardAR]

Haven't had the pleasure of any of this yet, but in just rinsing a bird off in the sink I have problems with water getting under the skin and ballooning it out, or separating it from the flesh and that isn't even really a high powered water stream. With a good aim maybe, but I could definitely see it having it's share of problems.

 

[holachicka]

Hrmm, Sounds interesting! Let us know if the pressure washer idea works! I think there are different settings, so maybe if you play around with it you'll find something that works.

 

[Bossroo]

Plumping ???

 

[Dogfish]

Quote:
This would be done before butchering, so unless I broke the skin I don't see how water could get under the skin. I'll try low pressue first, then add more power. This is just an attachment to a garden hose. I would think a pressure washer would be too powerful, but I do have one of those that I could dial down a bit as well.

We'll just have to see. I would imagine that someone would have already been using it if it was successful, but new things are discovered every day.

 

[Royd]

Maybe you could just ducttape them to the top of your car, and drive through the carwash.