Chicken feathers

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

I have a yard full of chickens. Are chicken feathers good for fletching?

[hedgeapple]

I fletched some cane arrows with chicken feather a few years ago.  They do fine, but they don't hold up as well as turkey feathers do.  I used them in a Cherokee 2-fletch style.  But, I didn't fletch them backward and fold over the tips.  They kept breaking using that method.  I just let the tips lay on the shaft toward the nock and wrapped them.

When I kill some chickens in the next couple of weeks, I'll be saving their wing feather and I have a pretty good stash of turkey feather now.

[stickbender]

     Mikeeeeeee;
     Like Dave said, they work fine, but are not as durable as Turkey feathers.  The NA's used whatever was at hand, Turkey, being preferred, but there are museum examples of original arrows, that were fletched with anything from Wood Pecker tail feathers, to blue jay feathers.  If Chicken feathers are all you have, then by all means use them.   The Oriental archers still to this day, use mainly Pheasant feathers, as well as duck, and other large birds.  A Pheasant is just a Chinese Chicken, that was imported to this country, back in the early 18th century, for sport.

                                                                Wayne

[hedgeapple]

I used the chicken feathers because that was all I had at the time.  But, when I say "not as durable," I'm not meaning they'll fall apart on you after 20 shots.  I usually lost the arrow before the chicken feathers failed on me.  I had one arrow that I probably had shot over 1000 times, until I lost it woods at the TN Classic.  It was the best arrow I had made at the time.  It shot great thru my first bow #35 and thru my second bow 57#.

[stickbender]

     Well, there you go Mikeeee, a first hand testimonial!

                                           Wayne

[sadiejane]

heres how i use chicken and other smaller feathers.
the pix arent very good and its hard to show how they were made.
i did fold em over at the nock end and tied em down.
they are three complete feathers that rest together to make the individual fletches.
have made many arrows this way(saw it here first-pat b i think showed them)
they fly great.

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

Those look nice Sadiejane

[bigpapa]

Anyone ever use, what we call around here, turkey vulture feathers?

[Danzn Bar]

Not I..............Turkey Vulture's are protected in my neck of the woods and is illegal to have.
DB

[sadiejane]

Not I..............Turkey Vulture's are protected in my neck of the woods and is illegal to have.
DB

ditto in the entire us of a
protected by the federal migratory bird act
if you are unsure about any feathers thats a goodun to google and read

[bigpapa]

Well I'll be schnookered. Lol.. I never thought they would be protected. They are all over. Guess that idea is out. Lol..

[Arthur.s.Pankratz]

they help clean up roadkill off the road

[crooketarrow]

  Yea big back in the late 80's I had a few roost areas along the river here I pick up. I used them for years before. I made a sold someone a dozzen and the would'nt take them because of them. I was and still are a country boy just never gave it no mine.
  Those primarys are a good as turkey primarys. I'll still pick one up when ever I come across one and entergrate it in. I just don't stalk the roosts in July.

[PrimitiveTim]

Friend of mine worked at a zoo and had some owl feathers.  I wanted them so bad but it would have been illegal for me.     I see dead vultures along the roads and it's such a shame all those feathers are going to waste.  Chicken feathers though, I'll keep that in mind when I visit friend's with chickens.  Maybe get a "tour" of the coop.

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

Chickens have a pecking order. To keep that pecking order, the head roos and hens are constantly snatching feathers out of subordinate birds. So, in that light it doesnt hurt my feelings at all to take a big roo and pluck a few flight feathers. I harvested a dozen last night while they were roosting and the birds didnt even make a noise.
Fresh feathers.