I have a tech question to those out there experienced in mounting full strut turkeys. This is not my first turkey, but is the first full strut. I mounted the bird, then spent the next four days working the feather patterns to get them to dry "standing up". On the fourth day as working my feathers on the back, several started coming out by the quills. What is happening and why? Also, I pushed the head all the way back late on the fourth day and the feather pattern immediately behind the head laid down instead of remaining up. Im guessing the skin was not completely dry yet? How do you push the head back without tearing the skin if you wait till the area immediately behind the head is completely dry?
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You need to position the turkey where you want it when mounting it. Then you want to let it dry. You will of course do some feather arranging during the drying process. As far as the feathers coming out I am not sure unless you are just pulling to hard or they are slipping.
There are several reasons feathers come out like that. Slippage is one. Another reason is pin feathers. These are feathers that the shafts have not completely hardened. They will usually seem fine during the mounting process, but as they dry, the shafts shrink and they will fall out, especially if you touch them. Another reason you could be losing feathers is that you fleshed the skin too thin. This is a common beginners mistake. On bird skins, you want to remove all fat, meat, and membrane, but you don't want the skin too thin.
Some folks will put a wire behind those shield feathers. Make a bent wire with a curve in it aand two wires coming down into the form. Sort of like a horshoe. Put this wire under the shield feathers, insert into the form, and lift. This support will hold those feathers up while it dries. You can then remove it before the customer picks it up. There are a bunch of feathers there and the skin is bunched up a tad there, plus the head--- all making it slow to dry. Add some calk and it will dry slower, but hold better in the long run. Anyway, a supprt wire behind those feathers will keep em there.
I suspect you fleshed too thin on the back, and they are letting loose. Simply put a touch of hot glue on the downy part of the feather and set it where it need to go. Missing a few up there will never be noticed though.
Good luck
I eliminate a lot of time hand prenning the back feathers while drying by hanging the bird upside down while it dries. I still do a little moving of the feathers but gravity does the rest allowing me to not have to touch the bird to much after it is done.
John