I am doing a Canvasback and I noticed that there seems to be quite a few pin feathers in the neck and back area.. I thought after you flesh the bird then that is when you will lose the pin feathers.. I have not noticed losing any at all.
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As the bird dries, the shafts of the pin feathers shrink. As these shafts shrink, the feathers will begin to fall out. You can mount a nice looking duck with pin feathers, as long as there aren't too many. Just be careful with it and once it dries, DO NOT groom the feathers. If you touch them, they will fall out. Good luck.
If you are doing a duck, it's not the pin feathers that is the problem. It's the lack of mature feathers. This makes it difficult to get the feathers groomed properly. The half pin feathers ones that are not out compleatly, are the ones that fall out easily. Pinfeathery birds usually look rough. I have the same problem with good birds. lol
do not always fall out. This is both good and bad. I encourage customers who bring birds with lots of pin feathers to select another specimen. Pin feathers that fall out usually do so because of a combination of defatting and washing. The fat and sinue help hold pin peathers in until fully developed. A "pin feather" is simply a regular feather that has not fully grown in. Lots of pin feathers will make your specimen look "thin" whether they fall out or not. A full feather not only takles it's place in the feather patterns but fills in at the base of the feather with down. A few pin feathers is not a problem, but look carefully on birds shot in early season as feather groups develop together and if there are a lot of pin feathers in one feather group the bird will not look right when mounted. Also remember that feathers do not grow all at once. As they grow they mature, so a "pin feather" may be a short little stub or a more bigger feather, but not fully developed. If it is not "set", it is still a "pin feather". When you look at the skin side of the bird pin feathers will generally appear as black spots. This helps guide you to the location to look more closely. Canvass backs are notorious for not feathering completely until the end of the season. Because they have a full neck, lots of pin feathers in that area will detract from the fullness. Sometimes posing can hide thin feather groups and sometimes it can not - my suggestion is to avoid them if you can. Good Luck.