Gathering Duck Feathers for Fly Tying

[@Tjk186]

Now I understand why quality CDC feathers are commercially expensive...thanks for sharing your harvesting/storage knowledge and experience...appreciate it

[@robbieb20]

Your very welcome

[@stevearnold6687]

I found a dead duck on the side of the motorway and took it home to take some feathers off. Unfortunately, I didn't discover your video until after my poor attempt! Thanks to you, I will be better prepared next time!

[@robbieb20]

Glad my video can help

[@steves7271]

What a fantastic video, thank you for sharing with us. I prepared a whole skin a couple of years ago and 1 duck gives me quite a few years of feathers. CDC is the quickest to go of course! Nice of you to break down the rest of the feathers for everyone though (including me) 🎣☘🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@robbieb20]

Hi Steve S Your very welcome, I am glad you liked the video, thank you

[@Madmicksoutdooractivities]

Great stuff I've just done 2 mallards tonight

[@HuntertheHunter9964]

I’ll definitely have to refer back to this video when I get some ducks. Awesome video!

[@robbieb20]

Thanks Hunter Sandborn

[@T61034]

This is an unbelievably useful video, thanks.

[@robbieb20]

T61034, Thank you, I appreciate it

[@ejmacewan8942]

JUST FASCINATING,,, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS AND YOUR PASSION… EDUCATIONAL TIPS,,, VERY INFORMATIVE AND WELL DONE 👍…..

[@robbieb20]

EJ Mac Ewan, thank you so much for the positive comments

[@kentw.897]

Thankyou for making this video Robbie. You did a good job, and it was very interesting too. I never seen anyone separate any kind of feathers from a bird like that. You Take Care, Aloha🌴🏄‍♂🎣

[@robbieb20]

Kent W Thank you. I appreciate your support

[@deanbridgwood8755]

Smashing video wood love to see more different birds love it bud

[@robbieb20]

Thanks dean

[@michaelgieringer3209]

Great video on how to get duck feathers -- i like to skin my fowl and use Borax to dry it keeping the bird skin whole

[@robbieb20]

@@michaelgieringer3209 thank you

[@brianjameson8261]

Excellent video , Robbie, very informative

[@robbieb20]

Thank you Brian

[@cybergaming387]

It really helped me organize my feathers when I started pulling them even though they were from a widgeon.

[@CiaranBradley-d3t]

I tie flies myself, thanks for this video very informative 👍

[@robbieb20]

@@CiaranBradley-d3t thank you

[@whiskeyjin9]

Great information !! Thanks for sharing !!

[@robbieb20]

Thank you, glad you like it

[@FlyTyer1948]

Do you ever have a problem with mites or other insect in the feather that you pluck & bag up. You store the fleshy parts with borax, but do you need to take any precautions for the plucked & bagged feathers?

[@robbieb20]

FlyTyer1984 No I never have had mites or insects on any of my feathers. I do freeze the bird for about 2 weeks before I pluck the feathers, once I pluck and bag the feathers I will put the bags back in the freezer for another 3 to 4 weeks. As an added precaution I store all my harvested feathers and skins in a their own box and not mixed with my materials I bought. If there is flesh on the feathers I preserve them using borax for 4 weeks, borax is a great insecticide so any bugs on the feathers will be killed by the borax. I’ve been following these steps for over 10 years and it never failed me. Hope this helps

[@lukehurley6922]

I put all my feathers in a bag and leave them in the sun for 2 - 5 days to kill all the bugs and mites that might be on them and they are fine and I have bird skins but I treated with salt and borax and dry them out and I've had them for two years not a problem with them

[@laceywhite6792]

This is awesome! How do you wash them and so on? I’m trying to use everything I harvest. But some things I can’t figure out

[@robbieb20]

Thanks, if I’m soaking the feathers to treat them I use boiling water, laundry powder detergent and 2 or 3 heaped dessert spoons of borax and let them soak for abot an hour or so. If I have a skin that I skinned out and want to wash it before preserving it, I get a bucket of hot water and add dish washing soap and I give the feathers or skin a soak for about 10 minutes moving the feathers around in the water to clean them, then dry with a hair dryer. Check out my videos on treating feathers

[@laceywhite6792]

Yeah I subscribed so I don’t miss out. Seems I’m finally getting some answers. Always wondered about grouse wings and how to cut the hackle from chickens and so on.

[@adipose-fin]

Thanks for doing this video a great way for making better use from a bird. Can you do one for pheasants thanks.

[@robbieb20]

Thanks Corrib Angler, I will be making a couple of videos in the coming days on pheasants, and partridge

[@hirkojs]

Are Cosse Cochettes Feathers good for fly tying?

[@robbieb20]

Yes you certainly can, wing feathers are most commonly used for making wings on fry flies

[@hirkojs]

@@robbieb20 are these the white feathers underneath the primary & secondary feathers?

[@robbieb20]

@@hirkojs they are usually got from a domestic peaking duck

[@robbieb20]

All feathers can be used for fly tying

[@hirkojs]

Mega Thx

[@clementjohnson4391]

A hunter friend gave me a number of ducks that have had the breast meat removed. The carcasses are somewhat dirty with blood etc. Should I wash the feathers before or after I remove them from the body?

[@robbieb20]

Wash the feathers after you remove them from the bird

[@clementjohnson4391]

Thank you for getting back to me so soon. I have found your videos very informative. I have 8 ducks to work on so I will be busy for awhile.

[@williamparadis3058]

this is a very useful video - I would like to see how you manage other game birds as well

[@robbieb20]

Thank you William, I have a couple of more videos in the pipeline with pheasants and partridge to be Filmed over the next couple of weeks

[@joeg5414]

Is that duck okay? He's not moving much

[@robbieb20]

He’s sleeping 😉

[@joeg5414]

@@robbieb20 oh good that's good news! Well I'm glad he let you use some feathers!

[@knottastu]

@@robbieb20 He's pining for the fjords

[@lukehurley6922]

I personally prefer to skin the bird and tan the hide with salt and borax and then hang it up and take a couple feathers off as I need them and I feel like it takes less room and is easier

[@robbieb20]

I normally would skin and preserve most bird skins. But when I’m dealing with water fowl, I prefer to take the feathers I want as it’s tedious to preserve water fowl due to the tick layer of fat they have under the skin which needs to be fully removed. Other game birds don’t have much fat and are easier to preserve

[@christophero1968]

Link to video using soft hackles from the wing wrist kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4maZ6OdeJyXjbc

[@SirPraiseSun]

do the feathers stay intact for a long time without dowsing it into toxic chemicals like bleach?

[@robbieb20]

They will last a life time if treated, before you store any harvested feathers you want to make sure there is no mites or bugs on them as they will eat the feathers. I usually give them a very cold blast in a deep freezer for about 4 weeks