Anyone do stuff with their geese flight feathers?

[PhantomSlayer]

Our pair are getting rid of flight feathers and I picked up the bigger ones mainly because it was bugging me seeing them scattered in the pen like a crime scene lol But before I discard them was interested in finding out if anyone has ideas that they could be used for instead.

 

[Callender Girl]

It does seem like a shame to waste those beauties, doesn't it?

Well, it's probably not useful for most folks. But I have a friend who does historical re-enacting and portrays a Fur Trade Era clerk. I give him the feathers, and he fashions them into quill pens.

And, I totally get the "crime scene" reference. I only have two girls, and their feathers are EVERYWHERE right now. Hope someone gives you useful suggestions!

 

[fowltemptress]

A relative of mine paints feathers and then sells them to people who wear them in their cowboy hats. Those aren't goose feathers, though, but I see no reason my hats couldn't be gussied up with some goose feathers. I also keep some of her painted feathers in a vase, and I've thought about painting my own and adding to the vase until I have a nice, full arrangement. For now, though, I just compost my feathers. The garden seems to like them.

 

[nao57]

Back in the day, people used to make arrows SPECIFICALLY with goose feathers. it was actually a law. In dark ages England during the war of the roses people were required to submit a certain # of goose feathers from their farm, and all men had to practice archery by law. Well we're a bit past that age. There are other uses to them also, like you can make your own pillows with feathers and to use to fluff up sleeping bags. But if you use feathers for sleeping bags or pillows they tend to use the small feathers without poky quills for that.

I like your idea of not wasting what resources can be put to use.

 

[nao57]

You could also give them to grandkids. Kids love feathers. You'll gain some points with them, or with young nieces, nephews, or just normal young kids.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

@Callender Girl It does! I still have them. They were moved to their new pen and now their all over in their pond its bugging me still so I have to fish them out lol.

@fowltemptress Thats awesome! I'm not much of a painter but I do have a niece who sometimes paints. Maybe I'll see if she wants them.

@nao57 I'll probably offer them to my niece who paints after I wash off the few slightly dirty ones. I don't wear hats and I'm not much of a painter but tossing them seems like a waste

 

[Ecarroll]

It’s fun to make quills with big feathers like that! That’s how lots of artists drew back in the day. Lol. I made this drawing of my boots in art class with a chicken feather quill and homemade oak gall ink.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

It’s fun to make quills with big feathers like that! That’s how lots of artists drew back in the day. Lol. I made this drawing of my boots in art class with a chicken feather quill and homemade oak gall ink.View attachment 3866929

Awesome!

 

[skeeeter]

Hi, you can save a few for craft projects, save a few for quill pens, some more for fuses(fill with gp ends fitted one into the other), more for medicine applicators, etc, etc. Take a big corncob, saw off the hard butt end, poke in two feathers and you have: A helicopter!!

 

[SourRoses]

I wish pretty hard for goose down, since I love a good feather pillow and they are getting harder and harder to find!
But my chickens don't produce goose down