Pin Feathers with pictures

I learned about hen mallards early in my bird mounting adventures. Late season hens will usually be going into a nesting molt. At least that's how Stefan Savides described it to me. I have found that the nicest feathered out hens are mature birds harvested in November or December around here. Once we get into January they start to get pin feathers again. I'm in Oregon. The drakes are usually great at the end of the season. He should be good.

If I were you I would still mount her, so you know what pin feathers will do. You will gain a lot of experience and know what to expect and why you should turn those projects down in the future. You're already into it this far! Keep going.

 

Those actually look like "DOWN" pinfeathers.. I've had them that way before and they mounted up fine..

 

the real answer to your question will present itself when you begin to wash and if it makes it through that then the drying process, if it is down feathers then no big deal should mount up fine, but if it is the outer feathers then there is a good chance they will fall out unmercifully as you wash and dry, i would not tumble the bird but would give it a spin cycle in the washing machine then blow dry gently with no more air pressure than is necessary to do the job. although i don't typically use gas or degreaser, thisis an occasion where i would make an exception, if you get it washed and rinsed in one piece, then i would give it a soak in white gas then drain and dry, this will pull any grease out you didn't get in fleshing and will also displace most of the water from the washing and rinsing making it dry a lot faster so you don't have to agitate those feathers any more than is absolutely necessary, good luck, markw.

 

Mount it.

 

Down pinfeathers indeed. probley OK to mount.

 

I mounted a Blue Wing Teal that looked just like yours and I didn't lose many feathers at all. Turn ths skin over and look at the feather butts. If you see a lot of feathers with the casing still growing those will likely fall out but if the casing has fallen off already you should be just fine.
Good Luck!

 

I have mounted pin feather birds in the past, they are a pain, but it is a good learning tool, I anded up with a sink full of feathers, but the bird still turned out nice, an immature Pintail like I said they are a pain but it's still good to know how.