Farm and ranch
Yardbird 21833 Chicken Plucker — 1.5 HP, 20" Stainless Drum
Reviews
4.5/ 5
Brand Yardbird
- 5 stars 9
- 4 stars 2
- 3 stars 0
- 2 stars 0
- 1 star 1
Product description
Power and capacity: This plucker is powered by a commercial-style 1.5 horsepower motor that turns a 20-inch diameter stainless steel drum at roughly 300 RPM. The capacity of the drum accommodates most chickens, many waterfowl, and turkeys up to the unit’s practical limit when used with appropriate preparation.
Defeathering system: Inside the drum are 110 natural rubber fingers that flex to remove feathers and surface debris without cutting or tearing the skin. The drum is food-grade stainless for durability and sanitation, and it is removable for thorough cleaning.
Feather handling and cleaning: An integrated irrigation ring accepts a standard garden hose to rinse feathers and scald residue toward the discharge chute. Collected feathers and water can be directed into a 5-gallon bucket placed under the chute for easy cleanup. After use the stainless drum can be rinsed out and the exterior wiped down; the motor is enclosed in a waterproof housing to limit moisture exposure.
Safety and transport: A drum-detection safety switch prevents operation unless the drum is secured, and a GFCI on the cord offers electrical protection during wet processing. The unit sits on a cart with solid rubber wheels on ball-bearing hubs to move to and from the processing area and to roll into storage when not in use.
Support and maintenance: The package includes the plucker with drum, rubber fingers installed, irrigation ring and hose connector, feather chute, and transport wheels. Replacement fingers are consumable and may need renewal after extended use. The unit is covered by a one-year warranty and supported by a U.S.-based customer service team.
Pros
- Fast defeathering with powerful motor
- Removable stainless drum for easy cleaning
- Integrated hose ring and simple feather chute
Cons
- Rubber fingers are consumable and may crack over time
- Small transport wheels limit easy movement over rough ground
- GFCI and electrical components can be sensitive to moisture
VerdictA robust defeathering machine for small-scale poultry processors and homesteaders. The 1.5 HP motor spins a 20" stainless drum at about 300 RPM to remove feathers from properly scalded birds in seconds. The 110 rubber fingers are designed to pull feathers without tearing skin, while the irrigation ring and feather chute make collection simple. Expect occasional maintenance of consumable parts like
Reviews
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M. Greeder 5/5
Saved a huge amount of time
Processed about 80 birds with it. Simple to assemble, clean, and move. Didn’t tear the meat and had each bird plucked in under 30 seconds — huge time saver.
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Jojo 5/5
Absolutely thrilled with the time savings
We loved it — processed two Cornish crosses at once in under a minute. Easy to clean and simple to assemble if you follow the video and instructions. Made processing days much easier.
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Molly Peters 4/5
Good economical option for home use
Works well on Cornish Cross; red rangers leave a few feathers. Fingers cracked near the end of year two and the GFCI failed after exposure to water. Motor sometimes needs a manual spin to start, but it still performs and beats hand-plucking for our ~150 birds/year.
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Carolyn 5/5
Radically improved our processing workflow
The 1.5 HP motor and 20" drum handle batches easily, and the 110 soft fingers remove feathers quickly without harming skin. The irrigation ring keeps things cleaner and the wheels make it easy to reposition.
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Sunny 5/5
Heavy, effective, but needs transport fixes
It’s a heavy, well-built unit but the tiny wheels make moving it awkward. Handled two young toms with success after some flipping and a few tweaks to the discharge. I added PVC elbows to route feathers away from the motor.
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Andrew 5/5
Reliable operation and easy cleanup
Used it recently and it performed beautifully. I usually run one or two birds at a time and place a perforated 5-gallon bucket under the chute to collect feathers and water for quick disposal.
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Wolf Song 4/5
Box damaged but unit works as expected
Packaging arrived dented but the plucker performs as described. Easily handles two chickens at once and is efficient for small-scale butchering operations.
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Mike Scott 1/5
Worked well initially but returned due to reliability issues
Assembly was straightforward and it plucked about 30 birds fine. The GFI on the cord tripped and wouldn’t reset, and later the motor failed to start. I ended up returning it for a refund.
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Lucie 5/5
Solid performance on turkeys
Sturdy build and worth the assembly effort. We used it to process 11 turkeys and, following earlier tips, everything went smoothly. Looking forward to using it on chickens next season.
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Peter Desrosiers 5/5
Handles big birds with a little prep
Used it on meat birds and turkeys up to around 19 lbs with good results. Removing heads, feet, and large tail feathers before plucking helped the birds tumble and get cleaned more thoroughly.
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Marion J. 5/5
Worth the investment for my homestead
Made processing much faster — a chicken that used to take 15–20 minutes is done in about 15–20 seconds. Sturdy stainless construction and easy cleanup. Only complaint is the small wheels during winter storage moves.
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AR 5/5
Delivered to my door and solid customer service
The box was battered but the plucker was intact aside from a small ding on the motor cover. Customer support replaced the part quickly. Assembly took a bit of effort but instructions were clear and written well.
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