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A young
engineer working from a small workshop on Holborn
Viaduct had a dream of automating the plucking of
foul and game birds.
Let's not
think of a 'Wallace & Grommit” cartoon creation
but a sophisticated device that was to be copied by
a world famous manufacturer of ladies electric razors.
Alan Bingham could have been inspired by the necessity
of war, the British government promoted the breeding
of rabbits and chicken husbandry from our yards and
gardens.
This small
holding type lifestyle began to fade out in the fifties
but Bingham's dry plucking machine sales grew from
strength to strength.
It is doubtful that private householders would have
purchased a Bingham Plucker but to poultry and game
producers, it was a pheasant pluckers dream.
Many thousands were sold, not just in the UK but worldwide.
Indeed, many of those original dry plucking machines
are still going strong, despite the advancement in
technology, the Bingham plucker has changed little.
It is true that legislation for electrical components
and health and safety has forced certain changes,
as well as material advancement, but the Bingham Dry
Plucker fundamentally remains the same. That speaks
volumes for Alan Bingham and his plucking machine.
How long does it take to machine pluck a bird ? -
About one and a half minutes for a duck, but around
thirty seconds for a pigeon but a big bird such as
turkey or good could be between 5 ot 10 minutes.
The finish of the plucked bird compares with that
obtained by wet plucking. No special skill is required.
The suction developed at the plucking head draws the
feathers into a set of rotating plates, where they
are gripped and pulled from the body. They are then
channelled through a suction unit and into a collection
sack to await disposal. The grip on the feathers can
be adjusted to obtain optimum plucking times for different
species of bird.
Typical plucking times are as follows:
Pidgeon = 30 secs
Pheasant & Partridge = 60 secs
Duck = 1.5 mins
Chicken = 3.5 mins
Geese = 8-10 mins
Turkey = 5-8 mins according to size.
The machine is immediately ready for use at any time,
and in the case of the single phase version, can be
operated from any standard 13 amp socket. Provided
that the 'Bingham' is maintained properly and lubricated
at the proper intervals productivity is maximised,
outlay minimised, and long reliable machine life can
be obtained.
A guard is available, if required, to provide total
security against accidental damage to the birds skin.
This allows chickens, turkeys and other birds, where
the condition of the birds' skin is paramount, to
be confidently prepared.
Stories
abound of Bingham dry plucking machines being converted
for use in vans where enterprising pluckers would
travel from farm to farm in a mobile plucking van.
Gamekeepers and shoot organisers setting up dry pluckers
in the field so that shooters may take home their
ready plucked game birds.
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