Can anyone tell me how many feathers I need to be removing? I am very soon going to try my first pair of show types and to make matters worse the hen I intend to use has a mild case of ricketts from when she was a chick, so it will be even more important to make the mating as easy as possible for them.

 

Any advice? Or piccies?

Try not to overthink or agonise over how many feathers as its not that hard. Best not to pluck but trim with scissors. Upend the bird holding it carefully and trim away the feathers around the vent.

Cool, I'll give it a go later on the cock as he is pretty quiet and less likely to struggle

Some people put the birds into a cardboard toilet roll tube head first and quickly trim the bottom end of the "lucky bird. Quick and over and done with as long as you dont take too long.

I have found that some hens in top condition have naturally lost feathers from the vent area and I find its the cocks that seem to have more feather , some have a real thick down feather , I pluck have never trimmed , For me I think its more of the case that scissors can cut more then just feathers and plucking takes no time at all .

Agree with cutting not plucking ...

 

Kaz Toilet paper roll GREAT IDEA .......

......just don't cut off his legs or snip the body.

That's what really freaks me out. I am not sure that i could ever bring myself to do it. I think when I bring in a pair that I really want to breed from this might involve a trip to the vets and get them to do it or wait for MB to get good at it and con her into coming over and doing it while I hide in a corner.... :mellow:

Its a simple task. Not worth agonising over. Quick. No fuss. No injuries.

Upend the bird holding it carefully. Cover its vent with your thumb and clip away all feathers around your thumb which is around the birds vent area. Turn bird right side up and its done.

Nothing to fear. No big deal.

You will wonder why you even worried about it

Also AV, other thanBoof you prbably won't have to worry about doing it at all as all yours are pet types

How would you all like to have someone hold you down and pluck the feathers from your *****

I'm guessing you've never had a bikini wax Derek

MB yeah this is true... Lemon is VERY fluffy down there (I had a look today to her disgust and now she is not talking to me) but I am not overaly worried about breeding her and she produced fertile eggs for the past two years without doing it so I guess unless I am getting alot of infertaile eggs later down the track for no reason I might think about it but really something I would be happy to never have to do!

Edited June 16, 200816 yr by KAZ
turned discussed into disgust

I pluck the vent,its done while you are looking for the sissors & you don't have to worry about cutting there toes or the whole foot,if you are not holding the bird the right wayl,

I pluck the vent,its done while you are looking for the sissors & you don't have to worry about cutting there toes or the whole foot,if you are not holding the bird the right wayl,

 

 

So i come get you to do it for me then

 

Also I see you around the board do you have any pictures of your babies? i was looking for them the other day and I think you need to start a post with some pictures (unless there is one there that I am missing)