Pluck feathers and down

Solution

Remove feathers and down promptly after scalding, starting with larger wing/tail feathers.

Explanation

Pluck feathers by pulling against the grain. The downy undercoat can be tricky; rubbing the skin can help remove it. Some use paraffin wax after rough plucking to remove remaining down and pinfeathers (dip scalded bird in melted wax, let harden, peel off wax with feathers).

Notes

Plucking is labor-intensive. Mechanical pluckers exist but are expensive.