Chicken Feathers?

[Swamp Bow]

Well I sent a bunch of extra cockerels to Freezer Camp yesterday and it got me to thinking about using chicken primaries as fletchings.  Did a search in the archives and read several post saying "sure" or "should", but no "I dunnit, work great".  So anyone actually use chicken primaries?  I've got a some more blue orpingtons to deal with and I wonder if I should spend the time and energy trying some feathers.

Swamp

[wolfsire]

Send me a pm if you want to send me some to try out for you.   

[Swamp Bow]

 

Sure, but don't be surprised if the feathers come from another part of the chicken! 

Swamp

[recurve shooter]

lol. i dunno, but let us know if you can, cuz that would be a heck of alot easyer than finding turkey feathers.

[Hillbilly]

Just don't shoot 'em at a bear, the arrows might turn around and come back by you..

[coyote pup]

My only concern would be the size. As long as you think they're big enough for your arrows, I say go for it. I would try some 2-fletch with them. I am in a trade with Banoch (the guy asking about the grouse feathers). When I get them, that's what I plan to do with them myself -  make up some 2-fletch if it works out for me. I'm still trying to find some shafts that inspire me.

[Pat B]

I've never used chicken feathers but you can do a tangential 3 or 4 feather fletch. This one below is a 3 fletch. These fly as well as any.  These are small feathers from a Canada goose wing.

[Hillbilly]

The fletch like Pat showed should work well with chicken feathers. i've used it with guinea feathers and grouse tailfeathers.

[billy]

I would think that chicken feathers would work just fine.  I've made some arrows with the feathers cropped pretty close to the shaft (similar to the height of a chicken feather), making a very low-profile fletch, and they flew great.  When using lower feathers, however, I feel that the arrow must be well matched to your bow to get good flight.  If the spine is off then larger feathers are needed to correct any squirrely flight.  But like I said, I've used small, low-cut feathers and they worked well.  So I say YES!  Use them. 

[JackCrafty]

The upper arrow is fletched with guinea foul feathers.
The lower arrow is fletched with a combination of pheasant and duck feathers.
All primaries from wings.


All work well but are not very durable.  They will become damaged quickly if you used the arrows for stump shooting and such.

[Swamp Bow]

Thanks everyone, I'll give it a whirl.  

Pat B, did you tie those in by the tip with the feather coming off of the back of the arrow and then fold them over to tie the off up front?

Jackcrafty,  So do the arrows fletched with Guinea still squawk incessantly?  I won't raise those $#@! again.  I thought peafowl were noisy, I was wrong! 

Swamp

[recurve shooter]

Thanks everyone, I'll give it a whirl.  

Pat B, did you tie those in by the tip with the feather coming off of the back of the arrow and then fold them over to tie the off up front?

Jackcrafty,  So do the arrows fletched with Guinea still squawk incessantly?  I won't raise those $#@! again.  I thought peafowl were noisy, I was wrong! 

Swamp

world's greatest watch dogs. 

[Swamp Bow]

Mine where like that neighbors car alarm that goes off every five minutes, you just ignore them.  These guys just never shut up, it was just a constant drone.  I finally sold them.  I warned the lady and she said that they would calm right down once they got around her birds.  Told me she had kept lots and lots of them and she knew guineas.  Who was I to argue.  Found out later they drove her nuts too and got rid of them as well. 

[recurve shooter]

lol. i hear theyr tasty. 

[Pat B]

Swamp, I have done them like you mentioned but usually I just lay the feather flat and bunch the end up and add a wrap to hold it in place, then lay another feather and add a wrap, etc. After the rear is secured I offset the feathers a few degrees and attach the front end as I did the rear. On the front end you want to make the wrap as smooth as possible and be sure to cover the quill to protect your hand on release.