Thread: Need Advice for Plucking Possums

I have plucked about 8 decent size possums and only got about 180g of fur.

On other threads people have been saying that you only need between 12-16 possums to make a kg of fur.

I have not been plucking the belly fur because i heard someone say that fur buyers don't like it, is this because of the colour or because it is too short? I have been taking all the fur off the back of the possums, a tad off the stump of the tail but not the nasty coarse hair towards the end. Also a little off the legs and none of the head.

What am I doing wrong???

Most likely time of year mate. Possums will have better coats in another month.
Colder areas do better on average as well.
I average 13 Haast possums to kg.
Everyone plucks the belly fur as well mate. Pluck the whole bloody thing.😆
Buyers make shitloads more just handling the fur and don't have to get dirty doing it.


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I hand pluck my opossums I get and it takes about 20 I think to get a kg I use to just do what your doing then got told to do the whole thing but not the tail

must be the weather thing then as my makara opossums like the warm weather

Surely there is a minimum length for the fur to be plucked on the belly though isn't there?

not if you want to make money...

Another question, i shoot my possums because i have them in a cage trap. The blood comes spurting out and goes all over the fur and then i cant get that fur. Any solutions?

Cray noose

.22 bird shot. or pick your shot so you can grab them out quick before they bleed out.

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Originally Posted by R93

Most likely time of year mate. Possums will have better coats in another month.
Colder areas do better on average as well.
I average 13 Haast possums to kg.
Everyone plucks the belly fur as well mate. Pluck the whole bloody thing.��
Buyers make shitloads more just handling the fur and don't have to get dirty doing it.


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R93 is right.
I pluck the lot, tail fur has good weight as well.
As for blood! just spread your fur out each day and let it dry, handle it and any dirt remove and then bag it
My buyer takes green skins as well and buys all year round.
KH

I was using leg hold traps, club them on the head with a claw hammer so no blood spray, I was only plucking the back and tail, buyers will get to know if your adding short belly hair in as well, they may drop the price or just tell you its not good quality as a pre warning.

Around 25 possums here, slightly less further inland
One buyer told me to put in the bag whatever I could pull off with my finger n thumb

Generally the colder parts of the country have the thicker coats and winter coast will be thicker than summer coats.
All the fur gets washed etc so don't worry about blood.
I don't pluck tails or belly fur but all the rest goes in the bag.
Could also try looking at you tube for a plucking vid maybe

I machine and hand pluck depending on where I get them.
I keep it separate. I know a lot of people doing possums with machines and the things look like one of those ugly cats without fur when finished😆
I do as much as I can and don't worry about blood.

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Originally Posted by R93

I machine and hand pluck depending on where I get them.
I keep it separate. I know a lot of people doing possums with machines and the things look like one of those ugly cats without fur when finished😆
I do as much as I can and don't worry about blood.

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+1