4 replies to this topic

[jdowney]

I used to tie a lot as a kid in Maine, less so since I moved out west 20 years ago.

I always wanted to try mottled turkey quills, but the cost always put me off. Well now my wife has four Narrangansett turkeys she's raising, and I'm looking forward to some nice quills around Thanksgiving Pictures of mature birds I've seen seem to have barred quills, but the juvenile birds have nice mottled quills. Does anyone know much about what I can expect and what some of the good uses will be? Any uses for some of the other feathers? These guys look like huge partridges at the moment.

[Robert M]

There are no uses for those feathers bag em up and send em to me and I'll dispose of them properly.

They make great shellbacks, muddler wings, realistic legs, poppers etc.
All the feathers are usable start plucking thigh and body feathers now for marabou like soft hackle for palmering or streamers.
Sounds like you hit the jackpot. How are you planning on processing the birds?

[jdowney]

There are no uses for those feathers bag em up and send em to me and I'll dispose of them properly.

They make great shellbacks, muddler wings, realistic legs, poppers etc.
All the feathers are usable start plucking thigh and body feathers now for marabou like soft hackle for palmering or streamers.
Sounds like you hit the jackpot. How are you planning on processing the birds?

Thanks Robert, I'd thought some of the body feathers could come in handy too...

The Narrangansetts are our biggest turkeys right now, so they'll probably get sold to a couple neighbors and the smaller birds will end up in our freezer. Most of the ones we keep I can skin, but the ones we sell will have to be plucked - nobody wants to roast a skinless turkey I'm going to bag up the feathers if we pluck, but I really prefer skinning for tying materials - out here in NM hard tanning is really easy - air's hot and dry. There are a couple other varieties with gorgeous feathers, I'll be lobbying for those next year

[Robert M]

There are no uses for those feathers bag em up and send em to me and I'll dispose of them properly.

They make great shellbacks, muddler wings, realistic legs, poppers etc.
All the feathers are usable start plucking thigh and body feathers now for marabou like soft hackle for palmering or streamers.
Sounds like you hit the jackpot. How are you planning on processing the birds?

Thanks Robert, I'd thought some of the body feathers could come in handy too...

The Narrangansetts are our biggest turkeys right now, so they'll probably get sold to a couple neighbors and the smaller birds will end up in our freezer. Most of the ones we keep I can skin, but the ones we sell will have to be plucked - nobody wants to roast a skinless turkey I'm going to bag up the feathers if we pluck, but I really prefer skinning for tying materials - out here in NM hard tanning is really easy - air's hot and dry. There are a couple other varieties with gorgeous feathers, I'll be lobbying for those next year

Royal Palms!

[JSzymczyk]

with the wing and tail feathers, make sure you keep matched pairs so you can make symmetrical fly wings.