hen feathers - any use?

[euan]

One of my chickens dropped dead today! I'd had my eyes on its feathers for a while but had assumed I would get to pick when it died!

Any way I've kept the feathers from the neck area and the saddle hoping they could be useful.
Here are some pics
neck



and saddle


the neck ones look more useful theres a range of sizes and shades of browny orange. not sure if the black tips are useful as I thought they would be when they were still on the bird.

saddle ones I'm not so sure about though - awful lot of fluff not much "feather" - "chickabou" maybe?

So I'm just looking for opinions on if they are worth keeping and using and maybe suggestions for flies that could use this colour hackle. or just bin them?

[arjxh56]

I keep looking at my chickens wondering the same thing!
I have a few varieties but there is one that has a fantastic pattern to it...

Just wondering.......
Did it die or did you get bored of waiting

.

[euan]

It dropped dead all by itself! It was fine yesterday but really ill looking when I let them out this morning. I left it with some water in the henhouse hoping it would recover but thinking if it was no better by tonight I would snap its neck but it was dead by lunchtime.

I do eat my chickens so am not too sentimental about them but it was a bit of a shame

When I think of how many feathers I've just put in the compost bin over the years
I hatched ducks this year specifically thinking about feathers as well as meat

[jindra]

The neck feathers are obviously good for all kinds of wets; be sure to pluck the belly for chickabou - very mobile, and you can dye it in all sorts of useful colors. I grew to like the home plucked chickabou more than store bought marabou.

[euan]

I didn't think to keep the belly ones I kept neck and saddle because thats what you can buy

btw if anyone would like some drop me a pm - even better if you've got something I dont have to swap for ..I'm nearly out of pheasant tail and partridge - there's never any roadkill when you want it!

[carpflier]

RE: pheasant roadkill.

I see loads on my travels, any links to preparing them?

I assume you pluck the biggies and leave the rest on the skin?

Also loads of badgers. Are these any use or are they best avoided ...TB?

[euan]

I used to see loads (even eaten a couple that were fresh) until I wanted the feathers!

If it was me I'd pluck all the feathers I wanted to keep rather than worrying about preserving the skin but I'm no expert. From what I read borax is best for that but I haven't managed to get any yet.

I'm going to microwave these feathers to kill anything that might be on them.

Are badgers any use in fly tying? Their hair is very absorbent.
When I see them beside the road they always look pretty mangled anyway - an old shaving brush might be a good source?

[jindra]

Badger underfur is rubbish, but the guard hairs are useful for tails on large mayflies (they are longer and stiffer than cock hackle) + they make the best caddis pupa antennae, have a look here http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying...asy-steps.html.
You are well advised to refrain from eating the beast though

Cheers!

J.

[danielp]

You have a stronger stomach than me if yiou are thinking about taking the fur from badger road kill!!! They absolutely reek.

Pheasants on the over hand.... just pull out the tail feathers you want, microwave twice for 1 minute and then freeze for a fortnight to kill all the beasties and then they are ready for tying.

[tpk]

I have 6 hens which I keep for the eggs - the feathers are a similar colour to Euan's. I have just started to tie my own flys and I have been eyeing up my hens. I did think that I might get a couple of hens & perhaps a cock to provide me with some better feathers for tying.

Can anyone suggest the best breed which might provide eggs or meat + some decent feathers?

Terry