Construct a thermostatically controlled poultry scalding tank for under $65!

We have been raising and butchering homegrown chickens for years. In the beginning we would pick the chickens by hand, scalding them in a pot of hot water that was heated on the stove. Later a friend introduced us to a mechanical picking machine, which requires the chickens to be properly scalded to work well. Pots of water heated on the stove start out too hot, cool off too fast, end up too cold, and only work well for a couple of chickens in the middle. What's required is a way of maintaining proper scalding temperature over a longer period of time. We went to a commercially available electric scalding tank purchased from a poultry supply catalog that cost us around $150 (current price is over $230). It lasted several years but eventually the fiberglass tank started to delaminate and the heating element went bad. The next one we purchased at a local poultry swap for considerably less money. It was a used, homemade scalding tank made out of a utility sink and a heating element from a hot water heater. It worked well for several years but this last winter the cold, sunlight, and age finally got the better of the scalding tank and it broke. We needed a new scalding tank for this coming butchering season, and decided to make another one out of a new utility sink and any parts we could salvage from the old scalding tank. Using a utility sink is a cheap way to construct a scalding tank and it also has the advantage of getting the tank higher off the ground, reducing back strain.

If you were to make one of these scalding tanks from scratch you would need the following parts:

These prices were based on a survey of local hardware stores. If you use some other container such as a plastic drum you could save the cost of the utility sink. We were able to save the heating element, thermostat, and cord from the old scalding tank. Had we not been able to save the cord we have several electric cords salvaged from stock tank heaters that have gone bad over the years.

The first step in constructing a new scalding tank is to assemble the utility sink by attaching the legs. They push into slots in the bottom of the sink. We used a block of wood to gently drive the legs into the slots in the bottom of the sink and then secured them with 1" drywall screws, two in each leg. This will prevent the legs from becoming loose or falling out when the scalding tank is moved. Next the center hole for the heating element flange is marked on the backside of the utility sink. When we scald chickens we stand on the right side of the scalding tank so we placed the heating element on the left side. We used the same spacing as the old sink which places the center of the heating element flange 3" up from the bottom of the sink, and 4" from the left side of the sink. A hole saw can be used to cut the center hole for the flange. Once the center hole is cut, the flange can be placed in the hole and the four mounting boltholes can be marked and drilled. To mount the flange assembly we used four 3/8" by 1" stainless steel bolts. The bolts are inserted from the inside of the sink with a lock washer, regular washer and rubber washer. On the outside of the sink is the flange gasket, flange, and thermostat bracket, with 3/8" nuts to tighten it all together. Once the flange is in place, the heating element can be screwed into the flange with a gasket between the heating element and flange to seal the heating element watertight. Next the thermostat is positioned under the thermostat bracket.

We drilled a hole in the leg support below the sink and wire tied the cord to this hole to prevent the cord from being pulled loose from the thermostat and heating element. The black wire from the cord is attached to one side of the thermostat, the white wire is attached to one side of the heating element, and the green wire is attached to the bolts holding the flange assembly to the sink. Another wire of the same gauge as the cord is run from the other side of the thermostat to the other side of the heating element to complete the circuit.

The heating element flange is intended to be used on a metal water heater tank. The plastic of the utility sink is not as rigid and we were afraid that it wouldn't seal properly so we ran a small bead of silicon sealant around the inside of the center hole of the flange assembly to prevent leakage. Once the sealant had set we filled the scalding tank completely full of water to check for leaks.

Electric scalding tanks must be filled with water when in use; the heating element will burn out if it is not covered with water. On the day we are going to butcher chickens we get up early to fill the tank and start it warming up. When starting with cold water, it takes our tank about three hours to reach scalding temperature (approximately 155-165[degrees]F), and we keep the tank covered while it's warming up. Starting with hot tap water will decrease the warm up time. The thermostat can be adjusted to maintain proper scalding temperature, be sure to check the water with a good thermometer--we use a metal stem digital thermometer. In cold weather, to be able to maintain temperature, we cut pieces of ridged foam or fiberboard insulation to fit around the sides of the tank and hold the insulation in place with a bicycle inner tube.

When the tank has reached proper scalding temperature, the chickens are dispatched in a killing cone, allowed to drain for several minutes, and then dipped into the tank and swirled around in the hot water for about 15-25 seconds. This should allow the feathers to be easily pulled from the bird. If the feathers do not pull easily then dip the bird for a longer amount of time. If the bird is left in the hot water too long or if the water is too hot the skin on the bird will start to cook and will tear when the feathers are pulled.

1 Plastic Utility Sink                     $27.99
1 Universal adapter kit for hot
  water heater element                     $ 7.99
4 3/8" x 1" stainless steel bolts
  w/washer and lock washer                 $ 2.52
4 Toilet tank rubber washers               $ 2.29
1 120 volt 1420 watt stainless
  steel heating element                    $ 9.99
1 120 volt water heater thermostat         $ 7.88
1 12-14 gauge electric cord                $ 5.00

                                     Total $63.66

DOUGLAS & MARY QUAAK

INGALLS, MICHIGAN