When you cull your meat birds, do you save the feathers?

[MichiganWoods]

I was just reading through one of my chicken books and happened upon the section for meat birds and how some people (usually those involved in crafts) will save the feathers off of their meat birds. And apparently you can sell them too? But according to the book, only the longer, prettier feathers of the roosters are worth anything.

 

[herballibra]

When I was growing up my grandmother used to save the short downy feathers and stuff pillows with them. I'm not sure about selling them though.

 

[Opa]

Flytyers love the necks and saddles from roosters and just today I saved some for my mother's physical therapist. He's a fly tyer and not expecting them so it should be a nice surprise and a nice thank you for helping "Granny" get mobile again after her hip surgery.

 

[menageriemama]

No, but the cats have a heyday when I pick.

 

[Wildsky]

If you have the time, I bet they'd buy them on Ebay. You'd need to wash and probably sort them by size.

I collected, washed and dyed a bunch of duck feathers to sew onto a halloween costume.

 

[CarolMinnesota]

I have saved all the feathers from the meat birds, ducks and geese.

I stuffed feathers from four chickens or ducks or two geese into each pillowcase and washed two or three at a time in my extra-large top loader with warm water, detergent and borax. Then dried in the dryer on low.

Some ended up broken, but most turned out well. I think they would do better in a front-loading machine.

I plan to use them for craft projects for the kids at the local library and grade school.

Carol in Minnesota

 

[becky3086]

I don't think I would. Usually it is pain enough to be butchering, I don't want to mess with saving feather too, lol, lazy I guess.

 

[jvls1942]

In the "olden days" people used to save everythng..

the flight feathers were stripped off the hard quills and used for making comfortors along with the down feathers..

I remember our old comfortor from when we were boys. I was like a huge pillow that covered the whole bed.. when we woke up in the morning all the feathers would be collected in the four corners and we would be covered up with only the two pieces of cloth..LOL

 

[Attack Chicken]

When my rooster molts I same his feathers and make dream-catchers with them. They turn out very pretty.

 

[nikaku]

I was wondering the same thing...I'd like to save the feathers from Cornish Xs when I harvest them, but the feathers will be all wet from the scalding pot. I guess I can try fluffing them back up in the dryer like CarolMinnesota mentioned.