VEVOR 23.6 in Chicken Plucker
The best price per bird in this ranking, with room for up to four birds a batch and a 2,200 W motor. VEVOR publishes no warranty.
Amazon $429.90$429.90
4 birds2,200 W23.6 in
A drum plucker strips a scalded bird in well under a minute, a job that takes far longer by hand. Scalded birds go into a tub lined with rubber fingers, a spinning floor plate tumbles them against the fingers, and the loosened feathers wash out of a chute at the bottom. A scalder is the step before: a heated tank that holds water at a set scalding temperature, so the feathers come loose without cooking the skin. These rankings cover electric drum pluckers for chickens, ducks and turkeys, the smaller drum pluckers made for quail and game birds, and electric scalders. Drill-attachment pluckers, hand-held pluckers and combo kits are left out.
Batch size is the first choice. Most backyard pluckers take one or two chickens at a time, which is plenty for a few dozen birds a season. Machines that take four to six birds at once save real time on bigger processing days. Each page shows the batch the maker states and the ranking scores that figure; a machine whose maker publishes no batch size scores none for it.
The drum is the second. A stainless drum takes scalding water and hard scrubbing. Plastic drums are lighter, but the plastic models here cost more than most stainless ones. A built-in spray ring rinses feathers down the chute while the machine runs, so nobody has to hold a hose over the drum.
Power matters most on a scalder. A stronger element brings a tank up to temperature sooner and holds it as cold birds go in. Check whether a scalder needs a 240 V circuit or a dedicated 20 A outlet before you buy.
Prices were last checked November 9, 2026. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon or the retailer's site at the time of purchase apply. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Top Picks
VEVOR 15.7 in Chicken Plucker
The cheapest stainless drum plucker here, for keepers doing one or two birds at a time.
Amazon $279.90$279.90
2 birds550 W15.7 in
Stromberg's Large Stainless Plucker
The largest batch here at five to six chickens, for small farms with a 220 V supply.
Amazon $1,299.99$1,299.99
6 birds1,500 W25 in
Shop by Type
Chicken pluckers
13 rankedElectric drum pluckers for chickens, ducks and turkeys, from one-bird backyard tubs to machines that take five or six birds a batch.
Top rated: VEVOR 23.6 in Chicken Plucker $429.90
Quail pluckers
4 rankedDrum pluckers with small, soft fingers built for quail, doves, pigeons and other small game birds.
Top rated: Hatching Time ProB Quail Plucker $499.99
Scalders
5 rankedHeated tanks that hold scalding water at a set temperature, so feathers come loose before the plucker.
Top rated: Rite Farm PRO240US 15 Gal Scalder $519.99
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Best Chicken Pluckers
- VEVOR 23.6 in Chicken Plucker#1 of 13Full review
The best price per bird in this ranking, with room for up to four birds a batch and a 2,200 W motor. VEVOR publishes no warranty.
Amazon $429.90$429.904 birds2,200 W23.6 in - Stromberg's Large Stainless Plucker#2 of 13Full review
The largest batch here at five to six chickens, for small farms with a 220 V supply.
Amazon $1,299.99$1,299.996 birds1,500 W25 in - Stromberg's Medium Stainless Plucker#3 of 13Full review
A stainless plucker for three or four chickens a batch that runs on a standard 110 V outlet.
Amazon $1,079.99$1,079.994 birds1,500 W20.5 in - Yardbird 21833 Chicken Plucker#4 of 13Full review
A long-selling backyard plucker for keepers who process a few birds at a time. It has a spray ring, a lift-out stainless tub and a tub safety switch.
Amazon $489.99$489.992 birds1.5 hp20 in - Yardbird 44204 Chicken Plucker#5 of 13Full review
The newer Yardbird, with the switch moved up to the rim and a two-year warranty. It suits backyard keepers who process a couple of birds at a time.
Amazon $629$6292 birds1.2 hp20 in
Best Quail Pluckers
- Hatching Time ProB Quail Plucker#1 of 4Full review
A stainless, wheeled plucker for quail and game birds. Its batch size is unpublished and the listing gives a 50 Hz power rating, so check that before buying.
Amazon $499.99$499.99-1,500 W20 in - Hatching Time Quail Plucker 16.2 in#2 of 4Full review
A light plastic-drum quail plucker that takes up to six birds at a time, for hunters and quail keepers doing larger batches.
Amazon $549.99$549.996 quail100 W16.2 in - PluckerUkraine Mini 330 Quail Plucker#3 of 4Full review
A compact quail and pigeon plucker with soft fingers, for small batches of up to five quail.
Amazon $499.99$499.995 quail180 W13 in - Rite Farm Pro Texas Quail Plucker#4 of 4Full review
A small, light welded-aluminum quail plucker for one or two birds at a time.
Amazon $399.99$399.992 quail-10 in
Best Poultry Scalders
- Rite Farm PRO240US 15 Gal Scalder#1 of 5Full review
The 240 V version of the Rite Farm 15-gallon scalder, with a 3,000 W element for faster heating. It suits a shop or barn with a 240 V circuit.
Amazon $519.99$519.9915 gal3,000 W- - Stromberg's 14.5 Gal Scalder#2 of 5Full review
A stainless 14.5-gallon scalder with a basket, drain and lid included, for one or two chickens at a time. Buy it from Stromberg’s or Mann Lake, not the pricier Amazon listing.
Amazon $599.99$599.9914.5 gal-- - Rite Farm PRO120US 15 Gal Scalder#3 of 5Full review
A 15-gallon digital scalder that plugs into a household 120 V outlet on a 20 A circuit, for two or three chickens at a time.
Amazon $499.99$499.9915 gal2,000 W- - Rite Farm Pro Texas Quail Scalder#4 of 5Full review
A small welded-aluminum scalder for quail, doves and pigeons, with a skimmer included.
Amazon $349.99$349.994 gal1,000 W- - Roots & Harvest 13 Gal Scalder#5 of 5Full review
A double-wall stainless 13-gallon scalder with a wide thermostat range and a drain spigot, for one or two chickens at a time.
Amazon $499.71$499.7113 gal1,500 W-
How We Rank
Each product is ranked against others of the same kind, and scored on its price per bird or gallon of capacity, its batch size, its motor or heater power, its features and its warranty.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per bird of batch capacity (pluckers) or per gallon (scalders), against others of the same kind | 25% |
| Batch capacity | birds per batch (pluckers) or gallons of water (scalders), against others of the same kind | 25% |
| Power | motor power (pluckers) or heater power per gallon of water (scalders) | 20% |
| Features | pluckers: stainless drum, spray ring, safety cutout, wheels and removable drum; scalders: temperature control, 180 F reach, dunker, drain and lid | 20% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 10% |
How we rank explains each factor in full.