Wasn't sure where to put this, but considering my "haul" this weekend of roosters yielded a colorful variety, I saved all the plucked feathers. Since they are from processed birds, I thought I'd try here I've heard from various old timers that some breeds are good for flytying, and all of these boys had some really nice feathers. Now, I have a whole lotta bags of feathers (I sorted by breed, then by hackle/saddle, wing and tail, and "other" feathers). I put an add for free if they take them and clean them, but I've started cleaning a few up in some light soapy water, and hitting them with the hairdryer on low, and they look really nice. However, now I'm at the "Now What?" If I spend the time to clean them (how?), how much do they go for? Some of them:
Those feathers are nicely marked, but they're webby wet-fly hackle and not worth very much. Fly-tying feathers are a specialty market, primarily for necks and saddles from roosters carefully bred to have the longest shafts, the shortest and stiffest barbs, and the absolute minimum of web (the three feathers on the bottom, middle, illustrate "web": the diagonal change of color, where the feather barbs become soft). Web is useful for wet-fly hackle, in small sizes, but dry-fly hackle from prime cocks is where the money is: a top-quality neck in a tough color like blue dun might bring $100. This, of course, after 50 years of selective breeding. There are secondary local markets for feathers; ask around at local sporting goods stores. What's needed will depend entirely on where you live, which will govern what the local anglers want.
Quote:The real only value that you can get from roosters feathers is from the hackles and the saddles which are small, tight, and pointy. These characteristics make them ideal for tying flies. Also when you sell them it's best to leave the "hide" or skin attached. I used to do this a lot but only with various pheasant feathers. The feathers in the picture are a little too big for fly tying. But may work for some arts and crafts.
Is this the only color of feathers you have? Can you send me some pictures of them in different sizes? thank you
Wow, you sorted them all?! That's dedication! After skinning, how do you cure the skin/feathers? Anybody know. I seem to remember reading something about borax, but nothing specific. I don't know about flytying, but I know some arts and crafts people who would like them on a cleaned skin.
What I used to do is just cover the skin in salt and it would dry it out. Basically tuning the patch of skin to a patch of leather with feathers. When someone needs feathers they just pluck them from the patch.
I'll skin pheasants, salt the capes, and give them to my fly fishing buds. I just use basic canning and pickling salt. Loose feathers have little value to fly tiers.
