Hey All =)
K - a follow up question to my one a few days ago about going rates for Red Golden Pheasants.
I have the birds, depressed the lungs with my knee to dispatch them. I'm keeping some for skeletal work but still think I may sell the surplus off for those who want them. I wrapped them in a brown paper cone etc to keep all the feathers in place - then froze them whole.
Now the question; How do you folks like to see these things shipped? I knwo alla bout foam lining boxes so they stay frozen etc - Im thinking more of the tail feathers. Those things are LONG! Do I curve them so they fit? Will that kink the quills and ruin them for you? Do I just use a box long ewnough to hold them straight? Won't that be really pricey for shipping charges? If I sell these things off I want to make sure they are packaged in a way to make them of optimum benefit for you.. so your input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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You actually, have two markets, the whole bird skin, or just the tail feathers. Lots of breeders, have nice birds, but the tails are damaged. This would be you easiest method, just cut it off, with all the feathers needed for the tail, clean it, and salt dry it, now buy or make, some long cardboard shipping tubes, you can then ship the easily.
The skins can be done the same way, you just have more time in it being careful not to cut holes, I would invert the wings, or you could cut them under the bottom side to remove all the meat ect., you will still have to de-meat the skin, degrease it, wash it, tumble it, to get it some what dry, then, I would salt it, and let it dry out. Ship the bird skin in one box, and the tail, in the tube.
Good luck,
The one problem I have with that is that I don't want to be the one to do any of the cutting on any of these things. I don't trust myself for even the simplest of procedures when Im selling them to other people. I've done as much work on them at this point as I plan to do and was just wondering the safest way to package them with the feathers still affixed to the bird without doing any damage to them.
Now if I had more experience and practice those tips would be AWESOME! So I do thank you very much =) But I wouldnt even know where to make the proper cuts and I'd hate to take money from someone and have it difficult for them to repair my cuts, know what I mean?
Hrmm maybe Im better off just doing these up as skeletons and selling those - LOL!
Stefan Savides method of electrocution is the best thing to ever have been devised. It only takes a second, quells all mortal flapping, and most of all, keeps the blood from oozing into the feathers. A crushed lung bird invariably "leaks" through the nostrils. The electrocuted birds never do.
BTW, I get all my birds in one piece. Blonhaven farms uses a tulip or rose box with lots of newspaper. The birds are shipped frozen intact.
Yep after this year trapping I am building a electro unit..It take's a HEI Coil and a small 12v battery..Ive seen the ones that all fit in a old 6V flashlight case.A momentary switch and wires with a clamp's and or a probe are all ya need to add...
Hey Raven drop me a line if your getting rid of any surplus birds..I might be interested....
on the shipping containers anyways.. Long tulip/rose boxes from a floral supply work well and are cheap to ship... Although you can bend tails around if need be so long as you dont crease them. They will be fine.
I don't trust myself with anything that sparks or that could potentially bite me in the process so I stick with rubbing alcohol injected into the brain cavity...quick and simple.
Jon~
If the birds are invariably bleeding through the nostrils then the guys are depressing the lungs far too hard and need to lighten up. Youdon't want to crusha lung - just keep it from inflating. Of the 9 birds I put down - only one bled and I knew right away he was going to... I felt a rib crack as I was adjusting my weight. You only need to hold the wings behind it witht he bird on its side and apply enough pressure to get the ribs down to where the end of an exhale is, then don't let it back up. Kinda like a snake constricting prey. Like I said - I had one bleed a little bit and I held his head so he wasn't throwin blood on himself.. I got one drop on the neck, but I wouldn't sell that one, I'll just use him for skeletal work.
The flower box thing sounds like a wikked idea! Thats an idea I can use for sure - Thanks George! 8)
As a bit of a background - the breeder is a guy I work with who raises the birds just for kicks, not for taxidermy or even for food. Just as pets more than anything. He knew I knew lots of taxidermists and do skeltons up etc and was lookin to thin his numbers so asked if I wanted some. Anyway - since he doesn't breed them for taxidermy and this isn't something I normally do, the electrocution thing wasn't an option - to go through that for 9 birds is a waste. It was so cool being out at his gorgeous place though and walking around all his coops and aviaries that I might get into breedinmg when I have more time and room. If I ever decide to breed birds myself - I'll invest in the electrocution thing - it seems fast and easy and keeps the feathers the way you guys like them. And I've got your email addy written down Wally =)
I keep trying to talk him into breeding for taxidermy - he has SO much cool stuff he could make a living off of that easy, he just does it for fun though. This years XMas dinner... a big wild turkey named Toby was cool - he'd follow us around letting us pet him n stuff - hehe - cool bird =)
Thanks for the info guys, it really helped =)
To suffocate the bird, you can simply hold it under your arms, cover the nose holes with your fingers and clamp the mouth shut with your hand. Compressing the lungs causes internal hemmorhaging simply by edema and the struggle to get air in what lungs they have left. This may not manifest itself by blood, rather the sticky mucous that causes just as much problems to the feathers as blood does.
Now why isn't all that in the archives? ;P
I got the idea about the deflating lungs by pressing into the ribs with the knee thing from the archives. It worked like a charm and other than the one poor guy I cracked the rib on - no blood or mucous or anything on the outside? They couldn't flap around or move because of the way I had them pinned. Right knee on ribs - legs under my shin and the wings held with my left hand and head held by a couple of left fingers. They just sorta blacked out.. I kept my knee there for a minute longer to be sure - then put it aside and moved on to the next one. Now I'm being told thats not the way to do it? Ugh - LOL! I'm so glad I don't have to do this on a regular basis - haha! Screw it - next time I'm buying chloroform - LMAO!
It's not IN THERE, cause it's never been asked like that I presume and it's the first time I recall seeing that. Your's is the age-old method used since time began, but for taxidermy, it just adds another little glitch that could be easily avoided. Never thought of chloroform, however. LMAO