Chicken Feathers

Question regarding cock feathers.

Went to my friend's daughter's B-day yesterday. Havn't been to their home in
the country for a couple of years. He has chickens for eggs and said he only
needs 1 cock per 9 hens leaving him with 4 unwanted cocks. Two Rhode Island
Reds, one mix and ???. Capes and saddles interesting. these cocks are about
10 months old. Feathers look good. So... we skin the cocks, scrape fat from
inside skin, tack on board, rub with anti-freeze, let dry, clean feathers...
(Didn't ask him about his geese & goats)

Or my question:
Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences with obtaing your own fur
and feathers form the "wild".
Guy
(Still no bugs on guysflies)(should have some soon)

Guy Thornberg wrote:
Question regarding cock feathers.

Went to my friend's daughter's B-day yesterday. Havn't been to their
home in the country for a couple of years. He has chickens for eggs
and said he only needs 1 cock per 9 hens leaving him with 4 unwanted
cocks. Two Rhode Island Reds, one mix and ???. Capes and saddles
interesting. these cocks are about 10 months old. Feathers look good.
So... we skin the cocks, scrape fat from inside skin, tack on board,
rub with anti-freeze, let dry, clean feathers... (Didn't ask him
about his geese & goats)

Or my question:
Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences with obtaing your
own fur and feathers form the "wild".

Okay, but you asked for it: http://tinyurl.com/4joa2 ;-)

BTW, Buddy somehow got lost in the shuffle when our oil-burning furnace
had a smoke-fest. As we we're tossing and cleaning, I think Buddy's last
stand may may been in the dumpster.
--
TL,
Tim
---------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in message
...

...Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

You can get cheap imported necks that will produce plenty of serviceable
flies. If that's the goal, then no, it isn't worth the trouble. On the
other hand, it IS an interesting experience. I've done it and consider the
time and effort well spent. But, I wouldn't bother to do it again.

Wolfgang

Thanks Tim!
Too Funny.
G
"Tim J." wrote in message
...
Guy Thornberg wrote:
Question regarding cock feathers.

Went to my friend's daughter's B-day yesterday. Havn't been to their
home in the country for a couple of years. He has chickens for eggs
and said he only needs 1 cock per 9 hens leaving him with 4 unwanted
cocks. Two Rhode Island Reds, one mix and ???. Capes and saddles
interesting. these cocks are about 10 months old. Feathers look good.
So... we skin the cocks, scrape fat from inside skin, tack on board,
rub with anti-freeze, let dry, clean feathers... (Didn't ask him
about his geese & goats)

Or my question:
Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences with obtaing your
own fur and feathers form the "wild".

Okay, but you asked for it: http://tinyurl.com/4joa2 ;-)

BTW, Buddy somehow got lost in the shuffle when our oil-burning furnace
had a smoke-fest. As we we're tossing and cleaning, I think Buddy's last
stand may may been in the dumpster.
--
TL,
Tim
---------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

Thanks Wolfgang.
I will do it for the experience.
G
"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in message
...

...Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

You can get cheap imported necks that will produce plenty of serviceable
flies. If that's the goal, then no, it isn't worth the trouble. On the
other hand, it IS an interesting experience. I've done it and consider
the
time and effort well spent. But, I wouldn't bother to do it again.

Wolfgang

Can you get him to keep the birds a while longer before killing them? I
have a friend (retired game warden) who raised birds for hackles for
several years. He retired completely due to health problems a while
ago, and sold his breeding stock to a major distributor a few years
ago. Based on discussions with him in the past, 10 months seems kind of
young, as the quality of the feathers improve, up to a point, with age,
but if these are just barnyard stock, it might not make much
difference.

I've never done chickens, but I've done waterfowl, game birds, deer,
and even a little caribou, and I (shudder) agree with Wolfgang. It is
an interesting experience, but not something I'd do often.

"George Adams" wrote in message
ups.com...
...I (shudder) agree with Wolfgang...

Into each life, a little rain must fall.

Wolfgang

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in message
...
Question regarding cock feathers.

Went to my friend's daughter's B-day yesterday. Havn't been to their home
in
the country for a couple of years. He has chickens for eggs and said he
only
needs 1 cock per 9 hens leaving him with 4 unwanted cocks. Two Rhode
Island
Reds, one mix and ???. Capes and saddles interesting. these cocks are
about
10 months old. Feathers look good. So... we skin the cocks, scrape fat
from
inside skin, tack on board, rub with anti-freeze, let dry, clean
feathers...
(Didn't ask him about his geese & goats)

Or my question:
Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences with obtaing your own fur
and feathers form the "wild".
Guy
(Still no bugs on guysflies)(should have some soon)



Yes it is often worth it. Whether it is worth it in this specific case,
depends on the feathers. Those birds are rather young. Most people would
take feathers of three years old or more, where the birds are in full
plumage. Selected ( "genetic") and soem other stock may be culled at an
earlier stage.One can use practically any feathers for quite a lot of
things. Whether they will be good dry fly hackles is unlikely, although one
can get lucky here.

It is definitely worth it for the experience.Whether you do it again, or
even
often, depends on your opportunities and preferences.

If you can, get some hen capes, ( especially mix colours), these are
generally even more useful.

Goose feathers are also very useful, as is good goat hair.

The following may be of some assistance;

http://www.sexyloops.com/connorsmetre/grayling5.shtml

Check the index upper left for articles on preparing materials.


TL
MC

Thanks Mike,
These are barnyard stock chickens (I think). My friend and former neighbor
is a pharmacist who purchased some acreage 30 miles further out. I will ask
him about hens when I go get the cocks next week. He won't part with his
other four mature cocks who have established their flocks (and have
beautiful plumage). I will also take along some genetic feathers and maybe
"plant an idea". As for the goats and geese, I will email you a couple
photos of the animals he has next week. Maybe he will part with some other
good stuff for a few bags of chicken scratch.

"Mike Connor" wrote in message
...

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in message
...
Question regarding cock feathers.

Went to my friend's daughter's B-day yesterday. Havn't been to their
home
in
the country for a couple of years. He has chickens for eggs and said he
only
needs 1 cock per 9 hens leaving him with 4 unwanted cocks. Two Rhode
Island
Reds, one mix and ???. Capes and saddles interesting. these cocks are
about
10 months old. Feathers look good. So... we skin the cocks, scrape fat
from
inside skin, tack on board, rub with anti-freeze, let dry, clean
feathers...
(Didn't ask him about his geese & goats)

Or my question:
Is it worth it? (for the experience & feathers)
Or, should I just go buy feathers at my local fly shop?

I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences with obtaing your own
fur
and feathers form the "wild".
Guy
(Still no bugs on guysflies)(should have some soon)



Yes it is often worth it. Whether it is worth it in this specific case,
depends on the feathers. Those birds are rather young. Most people would
take feathers of three years old or more, where the birds are in full
plumage. Selected ( "genetic") and soem other stock may be culled at an
earlier stage.One can use practically any feathers for quite a lot of
things. Whether they will be good dry fly hackles is unlikely, although
one
can get lucky here.

It is definitely worth it for the experience.Whether you do it again, or
even
often, depends on your opportunities and preferences.

If you can, get some hen capes, ( especially mix colours), these are
generally even more useful.

Goose feathers are also very useful, as is good goat hair.

The following may be of some assistance;

http://www.sexyloops.com/connorsmetre/grayling5.shtml

Check the index upper left for articles on preparing materials.


TL
MC

"Guy Thornberg" wrote in message
...
Thanks Mike,
These are barnyard stock chickens (I think). My friend and former neighbor
is a pharmacist who purchased some acreage 30 miles further out. I will
ask
him about hens when I go get the cocks next week. He won't part with his
other four mature cocks who have established their flocks (and have
beautiful plumage). I will also take along some genetic feathers and maybe
"plant an idea". As for the goats and geese, I will email you a couple
photos of the animals he has next week. Maybe he will part with some other
good stuff for a few bags of chicken scratch.


Plant some of these instead! Get him to raise some for you.The eggs are not
that expensive, and you may achieve some very very good results, as these
birds are already extremely selected.

http://www.theriaultflies.com/chickenhackle.html

One can use lots of different feathers. It is not essential to have highly
selected ( "Genetic") stock for many things, and one can get some very good
hackle. I still have a fair number of bantam cock capes which are first
class in every respect. These only cost me the work involved in preparing
them, and a couple of seatrout to the owner! I have tied thousands of flies
from them in the meantime, and will tie thousands more.

Most birds moult at least once a year. The geese feathers form a single
moult will last you a long time. Normally, you merely need to wash and sort
them. One may use these feathers for lots of things.

One may even collect moulted cock hackles, but this can be a mess about.

TL
MC