Looking for input on what you folks charge (if anything) for those wings that are really badly broken. These always take me much longer to skin, and of course, have to be rebuilt as they are always seem to be for a flying mount. I assume that the majority of the birds you recieve are frozen, so this usually cannot be assessed immediately. Do you have a flat rate for a wing replacement, or charge by the hour for the repair? How is it stated in your contract? Any input appreciated. Thanks. Dennis
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I have a certain amount of repair cost built into my base price. I very rarely see a bird that doesn't need some kind of work. Be it a broken bone, excessive shot holes, shot up feet, etc. most birds have some flaws. When I get one that is excessively damaged, I suggest a replacement or charge more $$. I ususally keep some mallards and woodies that I have killed on hand as replacements.
I have the majority of repair built into my price, as it is a very common thing.
jon
If it is a very badly shot up duck, i will replace with one very close to the original. Customers are none the wiser. As far as the broken wing bone, that is easily fixed with a piece of wire stuck in each end of the break for a flying bird. A standing one typically the wing is folded and hidden for the most part anyways. My original price includes minor repairs.
This is in response to James Parrish's post about having ducks on hand to replace ones that belong to customers and are damaged. If you will read the fine print on your Federal Migratory Taxidermy Permit it is strictly against the law to replace a bird brought in by a customer that is damaged. Just be careful in what you post on here. You never know when a Game & Fish agent might be checking up.
Like the other guys, I build in incidental damage to birds BUT only to a certain point. After that, I simply don't take the bird. I tell the customer to eat if for supper, but I'm not about to waste time trying to mount it.
It's not hidden in the "fine print" as John noted above, it's specifically spelled out that "selling" birds, parts, etc...is a NO-NO. This is why a lot of zealous "game wardens" are out to bust taxidermists. They think we are all killing ducks and storing them in our freezers to mount and "sell". I don't want to say that I hope you get caught, but you're making it hard on the rest of us by spouting off your ignorance of the law on this site. Plus, some kid or novice may see that and think that it's OK to do.
I appreciate your input. In general, I also believe that I have the "normal" repair costs accounted for in my price. I was just wondering if I should be doing something different after dealing with a couple of birds this past week that had wing bones shattered all the way to the wrist and holes in the skin from protruding bone fragments. Otherwise, these birds were not in bad shape. As stated earlier, this is not always easy to assess when you receive frozen birds. BTW, I also agree with the position that migratory "parts" cannot be replaced. Thanks again for your responses. Dennis
in my goose or duck mounts.After I have inverted the wing and cleaned the bones, they arent attached to anything anyway so instead of cleaning out the marrow, I just cut the whole wing out at the wrist then use wires and wrapping, and on turkeys they now have a whole wing form I can put in there.Its easier, cleaner and better to just eliminate the bones completely, since I use artificial heads and bills as well, the only bones left in my birds are the wrists.
As most have said, I have already factored repairs into my price. Sometimes I get some royally shot up ones that take longer, but I dont charge extra for it. If I can fix it, I will. If not, I call the client and suggest a different pose or just to give up on that specimen and get another one.
I don't give a discount for those birds that come in clean and unblemished, either! Those are the gravy birds that make it all average out in the end.
a turkey for a full strut post last spring that the wing was broken at the tip.There was no room to re-tie the two ends together.It was a real pain in the rear and took a little more time than expected so I would encourage you to take these things into consideration.