Recently I happened across a 3/4 horse electric motor on Craigslist. We picked it up to upgrade from the 1/2 horse that was on the chicken plucker. We had to swap out the drive pulleys but everything else was as simple as reconnecting.
As soon as things warm up again the plucker will get some use here at home with a few ducks and chickens.
Hopefully this project will be complete this week and I can test it. Left to do is the installation of idler and belt, as well as the electrical.
Today I picked up the first part for a motorized chicken plucker. A local gentleman had an electric motor available on Craigslist. After ensuring it ran I paid his asking price and brought it home. Everything else except the lumber, fasteners, belt and wiring components will be here tomorrow.
We elected to just order a killing cone instead of trying to make one. It’s more expensive and less gratifying than doing it yourself but I am a poor welder. The stainless steel model we ordered arrived recently.
Next week I will assemble a whizbang plucker and get to work on the chickens and ducks that need to go.
The ridge cap is now on the shed and this roofing project complete. At some point I may use some black spray paint to make ridge cap black on the one side. We shall see how much it bothers me.
Through a little barter I was able to get enough metal roofing to fix the roof on the old chicken house. It’s two different colors but I doubt the chickens will care. We need to install the ridge cap and trim everything to length. Once this is finished I hope to add gutter to fill rain barrels.
The chicks are going through about two and a half bottles of water so I decided to move up to something larger. We cleaned up an old gallon jug and added two nipples and a fill hole. This should last much longer than the Gatorade bottle we were previously using.
I finally got around to actually making the chicken tractor mobile. The wheels came off an old air compressor that no longer worked.
I am trying to get myself organized and ready for our next batch of chicks, some Cornish cross, and went to see a neighbor about a brooder he’d mentioned I could borrow. It’s going to need some TLC but this big unit should work well for all of the meat chickens we are getting for ourselves, family and some neighbors. I am soaking the rusted bolts and nuts in lubricating oil now and hope to have it apart and all the wiring exposed by this evening. I’d like to know the history behind this company and to see if I can determine the age of this unit.
