Chicken Hackles and Feathers as a source of income

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I was having an idle conversation at the doctor's office yesterday about chickens, when a nurse perked up. She and her hubby fly fish, and wanted to know if I sold hackles for fly tying. I hadn't considered it. Never crossed my mind. But she said that people use them not only for fly fishing but now people are starting to wear them in their hair. And it's made the price rise to $60-$80 each. EACH! She was looking for an alternate source of hackles for fishing since girls and their hair styles have made them hard to find for fishing.

Wondering: do I need to kill the rooster to get a hackle? I have black australorps and easter eggers, and soon will have silkies and a few other various chickens.

Does anyone here do anything with rooster hackles? Or harvest feathers for any reason? Is there money to be made by making hair decorations with chicken feathers? If so, how? And can I do it with just feathers that are molted (thereby not killing my chickens)?

Thanks!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

When I've seen hackles and saddles sold in the past, it was for the entire skin from the neck or the rump. Not sure if you could do it and keep the chicken alive, but it would probably be a lot more difficult. I know around here, the popular types of feathers are those from pheasants and dominiques. Takes a while to raise the birds to a point where you can harvest the feathers though.

I would probably talk to some fly tyers in your area and see where they get their feathers from. Then investigate from there. Might be worth a try!

 

[goldenluver]

yes you have to kill the roosters for them, they are sold still on the skin like a scalp. also, the price depends on the breed. they fly ty with certain breeds not just any breed. I guess it has to do with color, look up fly tying to see what breeds are recomended. they use the saddles off the roosters too.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, you'll have to kill the bird and have the skin cured on there. That said... a run in a mill hackle is like a buck according to my fly tying friend. It is the specially bred fancy striped and so on ones that go for more. There are actually breeds bred for the purpose.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Wow. That is SO not the answer I was hoping for.

Perhaps there's some other way to use the molted feathers as an income? Without killing my chickens?

 

[kstaven]

Being a fly tier myself I can honestly say that you have to raise specific birds for specific characteristics to command any sort of price. Beyond that anyone can go to a hobby shop and buy a bag of feathers for a dollar.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Okay. Sigh. Thanks anyway.

 

[Bleenie]

You could still make hair clips with them... I imagine black feathers would be good for that.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

For 60 - 80 dollars I'll throw in the whole chicken!





and a free puppy.

 

[bkwurth]

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