i have 2 ducks and they lose alot of feathers too . i have a cocitiel and she plucks out all her feathers on her belly it is so funny

Aloha, A lot of the feathers can be dry plucked but that needs to be done immediately after killing them. I usually leave the bird hanging and start with the big wing and tail feathers and pull a few out each time with sort of a quick sharp pull. At this point getting the most feathers off is more important than getting them all. Then the body feathers can be pulled off in little snappy movements. If you grab too many feathers at once it is possible to tear the skin. If that happens just go to the different area and continue. Sometimes I can get all the feathers off before the carcass cools so much that the feathers don't pull off anymore otherwise a hot water dunk will finish the job. In my estimation, you get a better carcass from a dry plucked bird, but it takes a bit of practice to be able to get all the feathers off before it chills too much. Other than dry plucking for a better carcass, hot wet chickens are much smellier than dry chickens. Whether there are a lot of pinfeathers or not depends on the age of the bird and where it is in the feather/moult cycle. If there are loads of pin feathers, sometimes it is just easier to skin them and the skin can be salted on the back and pinned out to dry so you end up with "flat" chickens if you like. I do that with barred rock cockerels since their hackle feathers are nice for fishing lures. The meat does need to be chilled for a day or two to tenderize. My grannie used to put the whole cleaned carcass in salt water, but I usually put mine in a plastic bag. If the meat is a bit dry, perhaps the first several chickens could be soup? If it was dark discolorations, it could have been bruised in the slaughtering process, but I dunno about white discoloration unless it is freezer or refrigerator burn? It does get easier with practice. A hui hou, Cathy

Here is what I am making today for a group ornament project: Angel Ornaments Use the clear glass ball ornaments - I use the 3" balls and they seem to work real well. Take the little cap with wire loop for the hanger off. Cut a white feather to fit inside the ornament so that it will stand up in the middle when you put the top back on. Sprinkle a small amount (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.) of gold glitter in the ornament. Put the top back on. I tie a pretty gold bow around the top of the ornament and attach a piece of card stock with the angel feather poem on it. Sometimes I make the ornaments using pastel colored feathers and I match the glitter to the feather, or I use the angel dust - very fine iridescent glitter. They look pretty also. ...in answer to a question about what kind of feathers were used...The feathers are inexpensive. I think there are about 100 of them in a package for maybe $1.99?? They are very flat in the package when you buy them. All I do is clip the very top off at the point where the feather starts sticking together and is not as fluffy. Then I cut the bottom of the feather off also, at the point where the feather just fits into the ornament and the "stem" of the feather is still stand up in the opening of the ornament when you put the brass top back on. This makes the feather stand up in the middle of the ornament. They sell the feathers in packages of all white or pastel colors. I use both when making the ornaments. If you don't have any boxes to put the ornie in you can use a clear bag add a ribbon to the top of the bag and attached the card to that. General Poem: This is an angel feather sent from God above, to serve as a reminder of His precious love. It's from your guardian angel that God assigned to you, and fell out in her struggles as she protected you. Each time you almost stumble, each time you nearly fall, Thank God and all his angels for answering your call. Poem for Loss of Loved Ones: No one has the answers Of lifeÂs mysteries and pain Except our God in heaven Where love and goodness reign And so we gain our comfort Knowing simply this: Our brother walks with angels And shares the saviorÂs kiss Poem for Cancer: This little Christmas ornament was made especially for you the feather is from an angel who helped you battle through. The ribbon is a symbol that life has become good again. And the glitter, it fell as the angel took flight To bring hope to other women and men So hang this upon your trees branches To remind yourself as you look up high To say thanks to your guardian angel Who stayed near you and helped you get by. Here is the list of cancer colors... Orange- Leukemia. Red- Lymphoma. Pink- Breast Cancer. Lavendar- All Cancer Survivors. Gynecological Cancer. Purple- Pancreatic Cancer. Burgundy- Multiple Myeloma. Light Blue- Prostate Cancer. Teal- Ovarian Cancer. Green- Organ & Tissue Donor. Gold- Childhood Cancer. Pearl- Lung Cancer. Gray- Brain Cancer. Brown- Colorectal Cancer. Black- Melanoma White- Retinoblastoma. Red & White- Head and Neck Cancer. Orchid- Testicular Cancer.

Here's a link from the doll-making forum. Is this what you are looking for? Here is a link that might be useful: Feather Angel Ornaments