What I have here is a turkey with a very bad shot up wing a patch of feathers about 4"X3" long no feathers. What should I do? I do have another spare turkey I could replace the wing with. The problem is I dont know if I can pull this off it is a strutter maybe ? easier? The coustomer knows about the problem but really wants the bird mounted no matter what. Wants me to do the best I can do, really big bird. I still mount all my turkeys the old fashion way,not removing the tail,legs etc. Any advice would be appreciated very much!
Thanks ED
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if it is just some coverts.. then I would mount up as normal.. then I might consider gluing in just enough feathers from the other skin to fill in the bare spot.
Unless he is just a really good customer, I woulnd't "freely" commit to switching out a wing.. that is a lot of extra work.
I personally hate it when a customer brings in a bird that is heavily damamged and says "just do your best" Cause sometimes your best, just isn't going to help that particular bird out. Due to the legalities of it, I do not believe in switching out for a replacement bird.. although i know some who do. Even though I don't like to do it, I would probalby recommend they wait on another bird. Cause you know as well as I , we're not miricale workers... we can only do the best with what we get.. and when the best goes out the door looking like a piece of phoohockey.. then that's your name that will be associated with it..
All that aside, prep the skin, wash and dry and see where you stand.. You may be better off than you think.. Then if you have to, decide if it can be covered with a few strategically glued feathers in place.. If not.. then removing the wing and replaceing is always an option.. and can be pulled off with good sucess.. but it's above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion.
Plus once a client realizes that you can take 3 bad birds and make 1 good bird out of them... you have a client for life.. but there is no telling what they will want you to do! Ask Greybird.. she has a cinnamon teal running around that isn't a biological hybrid, but rather a mad womans attempt at playing god! I think it ended up with a Cinny front, blue wing wings and a blue wing rump. but in the end.. you couldn't tell it ever was missing a feather.
Good Luck!
Jon
You can to anything with turkeys. They are the easiest to work with.
Feathers have to be similar. Hen patches for hens. Jake patches for jakes. Breast feather for breast patch, ETC
We get twenty turkey in a year. Most need some enhancement usually on the neck or scapulars. Have fun....