Ha Ha, just saw a news item about a shortage of chicken feathers since Steven Tyler has been judging on American Idol. It seems that fishermen are mad because they can't get chicken feathers because hair stylists are buying them up. Everyone wants a chicken feather in their hair!
Well, I take pretty feathers and put them in house plants. Especially when I had my phoenix rooster....wow, his long tail feathers were beautiful. Every once in a while I'd find one that he shed and grab it up.
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe just calling hair salons to find out if they're looking for them. I think it would be easy to go out to the coop and pick up the prettiest feathers lying around, wash them...maybe put a little glycerine on them to shine them up, and viola!....hair adornment!