Whizbang Plucker

[Oakdale Farm]

We just finished building a Whizbang. Here are some tips from my experience:

First, buy the book. Kimball has it down, makes it easy, and why not make your life easier, too? If you build one of these, you are going to be spending a lot of time and some money doing it. The plans will help you spend both much more wisely. Don't re-invent this thing. It works just like he's got it. (I'm not invested in H. Kimball! I just appreciate what he's done, and his plan book is good.)

I am a 'scrounge' so I tried making this as cheap as I could. I made my own shaft from a a piece of 1-inch rod, and a 'spring shackle plate' I bought cheap at the farm supply store. It is for mounting springs on trailers. It is pre-drilled, thick steel and just exactly the right size. I am a fair welder, so this is something I can do. Not everybody can. If you can't weld, buy the shaft. I used plywood and plastic laminated for the feather plate. This saved me a ton of money and it works fine.

I used two straight sided USED plastic barrels because the bottom cut-out of the first barrel is not useable for the featherplate. Just about everything in bulk comes in plastic barrels now. You can find them cheap at barrel recyclers, craigs list, etc. (Under $5 or free.) I used one for the tub, and cut a 20 1/2 inch disc out of the side of the second barrel for the feather plate. The sides of these barrels are very reliably 3/16 thick. The rubber fingers fit fine in the side tub, and they work fine in the feather plate disc, too. I counter-sunk holes in a piece of 3/4 plywood to accommodate the back side of the fingers sticking out of the plastic disc, and laminated the two together with screws for strength and water resistance. It works great. Very cheap. The plywood does not ever stand in water, so it holds up fine.

Get a used motor from the pawn shops, junk stores etc. Used motors are free or under $10 if you 'scrounge around' a little. The featherplate is geared down so far that it doesn't take much horsepower to run it. Kimball says he originally used a 1/2 hp motor, and it worked fine. He later recommended a bigger motor because a bigger one didn't cost that much more - even though you don't need it. A TEFC farm motor is best, but any motor protected from water by the bucket would work, too. Think safety! The motor only runs a minute or two at most for each chicken, so it is not going to overheat!

I glued my frame together, in addition to the bolts. Glue in the joints really stiffens up the frame. Why not? You'll never regret it.

I put mine on 4 caster wheels so we can move it easily. It 'kicks' a little on start-up, but otherwise it works fine. You could 'chalk' the wheels with a wedge if it bothers you that the frame bumps when you turn it on....

I'm running about 215 rpm (2 X 16 @ 1725). Kimball says he would slow down his original speeds if he had it to do over. I see some really fast runners on youtube, and they work OK, too. I don't think rpm is really that critical.

I'm also hoping folks might want to rent this from me. I'm thinking 3 or 4 chickens a day might be a good rate. I'd rather have meat than cash for this. Who knows? I might stop raising chickens! Kidding - can't think of not having some chickens around the farm. They're fun, and we enjoy the efforts of their work!

 

[carolinagirl58]

We just finished our whiz bang too, and it got its first trial run yesterday. It worked like a dream!!we had several old timers come over to see it run and they said it was like a dream seeing a chicken plucked so cleanly in a matter of seconds. These guys grew up hand plucking so they were in awe. It was funny. Three of us processed 18 Cornish rocks in just over two hours.

We built out whiz bang using the book. It is well worth the purchase price. We bought the feather plate, the bearings and the rubber fingers. Everything else was scrounged up. The motor and pully came off an old cement mixer and work great. They are very old but since the plucker only runs for 20 seconds at a time, i thin that motor will last from now on. I had the shaft made where I work (free). They had to turn down the end of it to fit the pulley. It was kind of a lot of work building that plucker, but after seeing it work I know it was very well worth the effort.

 

[oldrooster]

I have a hard time trying to find a plastic barrel in my area (maybe I am looking in the wrong places or the wrong days?) but would a 55 gallons steel drum without a lid do?

 

[carolinagirl58]

A steel barrel is the right size but I think you will have trouble mounting the rubber fingers in the thin steel walls of the barrel. I think the sharp edges of the hole may cut the fingers.

For source of barrels, check car washes. They get soap in them. Check soft drink bottling plants.....syrup comes in them. Check with any industrial food operation....hospital kitchens, school kitchens, prison kitchens all get food products in them. Check with companies that service industrial boilers....water treatment products come them. Also check Craigslist and eBay.

 

[Oakdale Farm]

For drums, try contacting your local recycling center. Or, look up 'containers' or 'drums' in local 'yellow page' types. Ask at the supermarket. Soaps, cleaners, and just about anything comes in them. Most are 'one-way' drums and they have trouble disposing of them when they are empty. Any little factory or fabricator is likely to have them. Use the 'Five-foot' method, and you will have a drum before you know it.

Five-Foot Method: Ask anybody within 5-feet of you where you can find a used plastic drum. You'll be surprised how quick you'll end up with one. Somebody will know somebody that knows where to get one. They are very commonly available.

 

[oldrooster]

For drums, try contacting your local recycling center. Or, look up 'containers' or 'drums' in local 'yellow page' types. Ask at the supermarket. Soaps, cleaners, and just about anything comes in them. Most are 'one-way' drums and they have trouble disposing of them when they are empty. Any little factory or fabricator is likely to have them. Use the 'Five-foot' method, and you will have a drum before you know it.

Five-Foot Method: Ask anybody within 5-feet of you where you can find a used plastic drum. You'll be surprised how quick you'll end up with one. Somebody will know somebody that knows where to get one. They are very commonly available.

I did ask store managers at 2 large chain supermarkets and they gave me the "I have no idea what he's talking about" looks when I asked about barrels ditto for 2 independent stores (both are larger health/organic stores that sell in bulk and are owned by different people) never asked at the local micro brewery or wineries yet, asked at a farm supply store and the guy told me he knew they sold for the 30-50 buck range IF they had them in stock from their supplier and they sold out quickly and price varied according to how much they had to pay for them. I am also going to ask at 1 hardware store they carry or order anything imagineable. 2 of the local hardware stores I did ask at originally gave me the run around to ask what felt like 15 different people and finally told me they couldn't help me (I think they just wanted me to go away, makes ya wonder why the big box stores are blamed for the small independents closing up when they give no customer service or are just rude).

 

[Oakdale Farm]

How far are you from Vincennes? There are all you could want there.
You're asking in the wrong places. Don't look at consumer stores. Go to light industrial places. Little manufacturing companys. Again, look up 'drums' or 'used containers' in the craigs list/yellow pages type things. They are out there!
Do you have any water around? They buy used plastic drums to make floating boat docks. A marina might know a source.

 

[Oakdale Farm]

Oh, and they aren't $50 either. Five bucks or free is my limit. Companies that use them have trouble getting rid of 'em. Don't pay much if anything.

 

[oldrooster]

How far are you from Vincennes? There are all you could want there.
You're asking in the wrong places. Don't look at consumer stores. Go to light industrial places. Little manufacturing companys. Again, look up 'drums' or 'used containers' in the craigs list/yellow pages type things. They are out there!
Do you have any water around? They buy used plastic drums to make floating boat docks. A marina might know a source.

I am about 3 hours away from Vincennes but I was near Washington this afternoon. And that's what Rural King told me was $30-50 buck range. Water around how about the largest lake (man made or natural) in Indiana 15-20 miles from me. But trust me been there, and the Army Corps of Engineers won't let them build any dock like that there so that's out. As for light industry I will ask a friend at a factory, but our fair city is very anti-factory, plus they are harder to find in this area just because of them going out of country/area due to the economy and our local government.

 

[Oakdale Farm]

I checked Bloomington Craigs List and found all the used plastic drums you want for $10 in Spencer. Boat dock drums advertised, too. Look up 'Used Plastic Drums'. What you're being told for price of $30 to $50 is for a brand new drum. You don't need new ones. Used ones will work fine.
You can do this! Ten bucks is 'top end'