are turkey feathers from commercial turkey houses worth using??

[Jtilley]

There are several large commercial turkey houses here in the shenandoah valley, and I have thought about trying to get some feathers from these processing plants. Other than being all white in color is there any other reason I should steer away from these? Has anyone used them, what is the quality of these feathers? 

[stringstretcher]

Wanab, any feather is a good one, some just better than others.  What is happening in the commercial growing of turkeys is that they are feed steroids for a short period of time, which enhances growth quick.  Where turkey farms used to take 20 plus weeks or better, are now done in about 6 so the feathers do not get to mature.  What you will actually be getting is a good secondary feather.  Also, raised turkeys are raised so that they can not fly, and therefore will not get the oil that natural turkey feathers have in them, as I also believe the cut the gland out that this oil comes from.  But even the white ones can be died and made into some great fletching, just not as durable.  JMO

[sadiejane]

am i wrong in thinking all the commercial turkey fletching like trueflight, are from  turkey farms?

[stringstretcher]

You are not wrong sadiejane.  But go to True Flights web page, and they will tell you what I just said about.  The feathers today, are no where near the quality they use to be, and therefore, they no longer sell "premium full length feathers"

[markinengland]

If you can find an organic farmer, the turkeys and feathers will be better.
Here in the UK there are some rare breed turkey farmers who grow for quality and good taste rather than cheapness. Norfolk Black and similar breeds produce barred primary feathers that look very like wild turkey. They are worth having.
Only problem here is that those I know of now tend to dip the bird in hot wax before plucking instead of water, which of course ruins the feathers.

[gstoneberg]

I used to raise about a dozen white turkeys a year for Thanksgiving when we were in Nebraska, did it for several years.  There was a local butcher I took most of them to, though I always butchered 2 or 3 myself Thanksgiving week so they'd be huge.  44lbs dressed was my largest.  I still have a box of primaries and secondaries  and they work great.  Sadly, crickets got into them when we moved to Texas and I lost about half the box.  It was odd, because the box was right beside a big loose pile of wild turkey wing feathers I'd liberated from birds down here.  None of those were touched.  Must've happened just before the move down.

George

[Jtilley]

I'm gonna ask around and see what I can get. Poultry is a big business around here. I should be able to get something.