Killing chickens for Hackle

[jifigz]

I've been maintaining flocks of chickens now for the past 6 years or so and I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience harvesting feathers from your own flocks? I noticed that even Murray McMurray offers a "Fly Tyer's Special" which is meant to provide good chickens for this purpose. I have Australorp, Orpington, and Rhode Island Red roosters which all look like they may have some prime feathers on them. I can just picture their saddles tying me great dry flies.

 

[DaveS]

I did this once about twenty years ago. A buddy and I bought a few birds from a farmer who had a few older roosters. I think we spent $6. And they threw in a dozen eggs too.

We ended up with some fair wet fly and streamer hackle and chicken that was a wee bit too tough for soup. I buy my hackle at the fly shop, but it was fun.

 

[JackM]

Hackles for dry flies are specially cultivated. If you grab a couple chickens so bred, you could supply yourself and all your friends for life. Get ones with light brown capes or saddles.

 

[jifigz]

JackM wrote:
Hackles for dry flies are specially cultivated. If you grab a couple chickens so bred, you could supply yourself and all your friends for life. Get ones with light brown capes or saddles.

I'm well aware that chickens have been bred to increase their likelihood of having good feathers for fly tying, just as humans have favorably altered many things to be better at a specific purpose. This doesn't mean roosters not bred for this can't supply good feathers. I'm sure it is much more hassle than it's worth, but that black Australorp's saddle looks mighty tempting.

 

[RLeep2]

It largely depends on what you want to tie with the birds you are raising and how much novelty/entertainment/achievement value you place on raising your own hackle.

For one thing, it isn't likely that even the best necks from your birds is going to tie flies smaller than about a #14 dry fly , and even that is probably optimistic, especially with the Australorp (natural black is usually of inferior quality compared to natural browns and gingers..). And if that is all the smaller the necks will tie, a non-genetically engineered saddle is likely to not even be that good.
I'd be surprised if you got anything of quality smaller than say, a #10 from the saddles.

I could be totally full of beans, too. I don't raise chickens (although I have in the dusty long ago), but have quite a bit of experience scrounging for domestic necks from back in the pre-genetics era. And that's how it was then...

Now, if you're looking for decent wet fly hackle (from the hens) or saddle feathers for streamers or buggers and the like (as DaveS. mentioned above..), then you could perhaps do a lot better with your own birds.

I think maybe the thing to do is to immobilize your roosters long enough to pluck a few feathers and see what you actually have. I'm guessing they may look a good deal different than what you feel you may have watching them parading around on the hoof, umm, foot.

Sounds like a fun exercise regardless of how close to your expectations or hopes the reality turns out to be...

 

[albatross]

I bought a live chicken when I was a teenager for the purpose of harvesting feathers for fly tying. This would have been the late 70s.

It didn't go well. Let's just say hanging doesn't work on a chicken. Also the bird was infested with lice. I'll just buy my feathers now, thank-you very much...

 

[NewSal]

jifigz wrote:

JackM wrote:
Hackles for dry flies are specially cultivated. If you grab a couple chickens so bred, you could supply yourself and all your friends for life. Get ones with light brown capes or saddles.

I'm well aware that chickens have been bred to increase their likelihood of having good feathers for fly tying, just as humans have favorably altered many things to be better at a specific purpose. This doesn't mean roosters not bred for this can't supply good feathers. I'm sure it is much more hassle than it's worth, but that black Australorp's saddle looks mighty tempting.

Jack always feels the need to let everybody in on the obvious..


Where do you see the "fly tying specials" I'm never going to attempt raising chickens, but its interesting to check out the different breads on Murrays website

 

[FarmerDave]

jifigz wrote:

JackM wrote:
Hackles for dry flies are specially cultivated. If you grab a couple chickens so bred, you could supply yourself and all your friends for life. Get ones with light brown capes or saddles.

I'm well aware that chickens have been bred to increase their likelihood of having good feathers for fly tying, just as humans have favorably altered many things to be better at a specific purpose. This doesn't mean roosters not bred for this can't supply good feathers. I'm sure it is much more hassle than it's worth, but that black Australorp's saddle looks mighty tempting.

You are right, and some are better than others.

As you know, the special breeds were bred for smaller and more consistent hackle but they all have them.

I had a little black mixed breed bantom rooster last year that would have made some dandy dry fly hackles, but a predator got him. All that was left was the wing, darnit!

 

[Bamboozle]

Without even looking at your chickens, I know they have feathers as good or better than the Chinese & Indian necks I used when I stared fly tying.

In other words, don't be discouraged with comparisons to genetic hackle.

FWIW - I had a nice conversation a couple of years ago with Bucky Metz about raising chickens for hackle, eggs & food. Even though I have no aspirations for poultry other than an occasional order of Buffalo wings, he was very forthcoming with information.

With that in mind, you may want to seek out guys like him who are retired or small producers who don't feel threatened answering a few questions.

 

[FarmerDave]

OK, I happen to have an extra rooster. Both are really handsome birds. I'd be willing to part with one of them, but you would have to come and get it. Any takers?

I had three, but ... Well, he was naturally selected out of the flock. These two don't get along either, but apparently they have learned to avoid each other most of the time.

They are both Ameraucana and coloration is completely different. If you google the breed, the one has the common red neck and saddle. The other is much lighter.

Wait, I just got an idea. :idea: I could bring one to the jam as a raffle prize! :-D

Winner gets to skin it, and them maybe Norm would smoke the meat. ;-)

 

[DaveS]

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

 

[Dave_W]

FarmerDave wrote:
OK, I happen to have an extra rooster.
Wait, I just got an idea. :idea: I could bring one to the jam as a raffle prize! :-D

Winner gets to skin it, and them maybe Norm would smoke the meat. ;-)

int:
(Almost fell outa my chair laughing. Just top notch jamboree humor. Well played indeed sir, as usual.)

 

[FarmerDave]

Glad you liked it.

Now I just have to figure out which one to bring.

Does anyone have a good recipe for chicken jerky?

 

[Chaz]

I have had chickens for about 15 years, but try to harvest as many feathers as I can as they molt during the fall. I didn't get many this years. I don't raise roosters, just hens for eggs.

 

[FarmerDave]

Chaz, I don't raise roosters, either. There just happened to be 3 in the last batch of pullets I bought. Also, it is good to keep one rooster in the flock for several reasons.

1. If you don't have a rooster, one hen will likely stop laying and sort of act like the flock boss.

2. Fertilized eggs are better for you, or so I have read. Has to do with cholesterol absorption. Long story and I don't feel like looking it up.

C. Roosters are cool.

Blood in the yoke? That's urban legend. Can happen with or without a rooster in the flock, and I rarely (almost never) see it and certainly no more often than you would see it on store bought brown eggs.

If you live in the burbs, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have a rooster because of the noise. but other than that, there isn't really a down side as far as the flock or egg health.

 

[pete41]

I had a pet rooster when I was a kid-payed $1 for it-lot of money then-bought chicken feed-then one day when I came home from school it was gone-we had it for dinner--tasty.

 

[FarmerDave]

I'll sell you one of mine for a buck butyou probably have them running wild around the neighborhoods not far from where you live now.

BTW, i was wrong about the color. The two remaining roosters have mostly light ginger colored neck and saddles. Really nice, too. The one that didn't make it was red.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Years back i met a guy in New Hampshire. He drove around the country and would see a prime rooster which he would purchase to use for tying. He said the trick for harvesting (killing) the bird was to cut it's throat on the inside. He had a knife with a long thin blade that he would slide down it's throat and dead bird. He had some prime capes. GG

 

[Chaz]

Jack always feels the need to let everybody in on the obvious..


Where do you see the "fly tying specials" I'm never going to attempt raising chickens, but its interesting to check out the different breads on Murrays website

Murry McMurry Hatchery has fly tying birds.

 

[Chaz]

FarmerDave wrote:
Chaz, I don't raise roosters, either. There just happened to be 3 in the last batch of pullets I bought. Also, it is good to keep one rooster in the flock for several reasons.

1. If you don't have a rooster, one hen will likely stop laying and sort of act like the flock boss.

2. Fertilized eggs are better for you, or so I have read. Has to do with cholesterol absorption. Long story and I don't feel like looking it up.

C. Roosters are cool.

Blood in the yoke? That's urban legend. Can happen with or without a rooster in the flock, and I rarely (almost never) see it and certainly no more often than you would see it on store bought brown eggs.

If you live in the burbs, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have a rooster because of the noise. but other than that, there isn't really a down side as far as the flock or egg health.

There is a big downside to having a rooster, they may crow in the middle of the night and I have a wholes for neighbors. We've never really had a hen quit laying and act like the boss. They definitely have a pecking order though. I have my doubts about the cholesterol thing. I eat eggs every day, and my 'C' is down from what it used to be. The high 'C' in eggs was a myth anyway, the people that ate lots of red meat that had high 'C' also ate eggs, but in the study, they didn't test the eggs. Eggs have mostly HDL 'C' anyway so they're actually good for you, but only if you raise the birds yourself, because you control what they eat.