fixing feathers

Submitted by debbie nelson on 4/25/05 at 3:35 PM. ( ) 194.46.12.51

Alot of feathers I have need 'zipped' together. There are gaps along the barbs of the feathers making them look untidy. Obviously, in the wild, birds would do this themselves when preening. The feathers themselves are straight but I was wondering if anyone knows of any way to seal up the gaps in the actual feathers to make them look natural.
Many thanks
Debbie

Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu


Debbie

This response submitted by olatheroper on 4/25/05 at 7:02 PM. ( ) 68.46.202.47

I had the same problem and worked on my feathers for weeks and they got worse. This may sound strange but one person told me to use my thumb and pointing finger and rub the oil from my nose, use the oil from your fingers to zip the feathers together. I tried and it worked better that anything else I tried. If you have real dry skin you might try baby oil.lol Scott


Try steam

This response submitted by Pete-pec on 4/25/05 at 7:31 PM. ( Petepec2000@yahoo.com ) 207.118.183.181

It isn't fool proof, but it will help. Just boil water in a kettle and let the steam rise holding you bird over the steam. I used to do this on my arrow veins to bring them back into shape. It can be amasing to see the feather go back to it's original shape. When I have some wayward feathers, I just take a little mineral spirits on a cotton swab and dab it on the Rachis of the feather followed by a hint of steam. If you have a feather or feathers that are abused where the barbs are bent, it may not help. Hope this helps, Pete


Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu