IPFS News Link • Chickens and Turkeys
Picking / Plucking Feathers
• diychickencoops.com Many people refer to this process as “plucking” the feathers. More seasoned poultry folk call this process “picking”.
The first important thing to know is that you do not want to delay
the picking process. That is, you should plan to move immediately from
killing a chicken to removing its feathers. If you wait too long, the
chicken will get stiff making the plucking and butchering process more
difficult.
To ensure you do not have too much time between killing and picking, here are a few tips:
Only kill as many birds as you pluck before stiffness sets in (e.g., 2-4)
Have your de-feathering gear ready to go before killing
If planning to scald, have your water boiling before killing 
