Post by admin on Aug 29, 2006 22:10:11 GMT -5
Yes the ducks and geese are plucked(the downy feathers only) alive...you gotta read this... I never knew any of this..Elaine
Plucking DUCKS
by Gina Hilton
Luxuries like feather beds and pillows used to be commonplace household
items in any Ozark farm home. Though people worked hard to raise and make
everything they needed to live, the women saw to it that they were as
comfortable as possible with the resources available to them. Right at hand
were the feathers on their poultry flocks. Most farm women had a few ducks
and geese to supply the family with feathers and enough left over to give a
pair of pillows and a feather bed to each child as he married. It was an
easy matter to set a few duck eggs under an old setting hen, and be in the
feather business.
Most of the people born before 1930 slept on feather beds and pillows in
their childhood. Though many now use mattresses, they still much prefer
feather pillows to cotton or foam rubber ones because of resiliency and
life in the feathers which will last for years.
Hazel Cravens learned to pluck ducks and geese from her mother while
growing up on a farm. Borrowing her nephew's ducks, she showed us how.
Besides the ducks you do not need much equipment to pick feathers. Two
straight chairs, a cotton bag to put feathers in and a cloth to tie the
duck's feet are all that is needed.
Have a comfortable chair that has a flat seat low enough that your feet
rest comfortably on the ground. The back of the other chair is to hold the
cotton bag. Make sure the bag and chair are close together because your
arms will get tired putting feathers in the bag. Since you are going to be
there for a long time, be as comfortable as possible.
[4]
The cotton bag is put over the back of the extra chair so that it does not
fall off. Hazel likes a clean bag or white feed sack of any kind. She said,
"You can make a bag out of any kind of material, but if you have a clean
white feed sack, that's one of the best things to pick in. The air will go
through this bag and the feathers will dry out faster in a bag of this
type. Turn it wrong side out so they won't get in the seam. We'd lose a lot
of feathers getting caught in this seam."
You also need a strong cloth string to tie the duck's legs. The soft wide
cloth will not cut into the flesh of the duck.
Ducks hatched in the spring are usually ready to pick in hot weather. Pick
in a shady place out of the wind. Early in the morning when it is not too
hot is a good time. Ducks are usually ready to pick when they are two
months old. After that they can be picked every six weeks until cold
weather.
You cannot get enough feathers for a full pillow from one duck, nor even
ten. The feathers will keep if you do not get enough the first picking.
Simply air the feathers outside in the bag for several days before hanging
up in a dry place. After you pick the second or third time, you may have
enough for a pair of pillows.
When you have your chair and bag ready, catch a duck and tie her feet
together with the cloth string so that you can handle the duck while
picking and so that her sharp toes will not scratch you. Hazel told us,
"You cross your legs, if you can, and wrap your string around a couple of
times. Probably one knot will hold it. You hold her feet as you pick. You
put her head kind of behind you under your arm. You turn her down for
obvious reasons and then you pull the feathers out."
When you pull the feathers, just get one handful at a time. Once you get
some feathers in your hand, do not let go or they will blow away. Just
reach over and put them in the bag. Use one hand to pull the feathers out
and the other to hold the duck's feet.
The down and small feathers are what you want. When picking the down, be
careful not to skin the duck. Picking ducks does not hurt them. They will
lose the feathers anyway. You pick on the underside of the duck, then turn
her over and pick on her back around the wings and neck. You can pull the
longer feathers too, but you should not put them in the pillow because they
have stiff quills that would make an uncomfortable place. You can pull them
if they are in the way to get the softer ones for she will shed them also.
You should pick ducks before the second growth comes in and they have
already lost some of the first growth. The new feathers, or green feathers,
have moisture in them. They can be used in pillows but they take too long
to dry. The main reason for getting your ducks picked at regular times is
so the feathers will not be green.
When the bags are half to three-fourths full, tie the open ends. Hang the
bag of feathers outside in the shade to air, on a good windy day. Take the
feathers in at night so the dew will not fall on them to keep them
completely dry. If there were no green feathers, a few hours of airing will
probably be enough.
Feathers have oil in them. If you hang them in the sun, or store them in a
hot place, the oil will be drawn out. Since ducks are naturally clean,
feathers require no cleaning or washing if picked and aired properly. If
the feathers do get oily, they can be washed, bag and all, but they are
very hard to dry. It would be impossible to take them out of the bag, so
they must be aired for several days while you fluff the feathers up many
times.
Tie the ducks feet with a cloth rag.
Pull the feathers out with your fingers ....
one hand at a time.
Sometimes if the family has a large enough flock of ducks and geese there
would be enough feathers to sell. In the 1920's feathers would bring about
a dollar a pound but it takes an awful lot of feathers to make a pound,
probably the feathers from four or five ducks.
Ducks and geese besides furnishing feathers, have several other uses. They
lay big eggs which with a slice of meat and biscuits prepare you for the
day. If the flock increases, the extra ducks can be sold in the fall when
it gets too cold to pick. or the ducks can be eaten. A few ducks or geese
around the farm make good pets and are enjoyable to watch. The soft voiced
drakes, recognized by the two feathers that curl on their tails and the
loud-mouthed females always seem happy and have so much fun in the nearby
pond.
[6]
After plucking the feathers, let the ducks loose. They usually waddle off
awkwardly quacking loudly their opinion of recent indignity. Relieved of
some of their feathers, the ducks are probably more comfortable in the hot
weather. Far from being bare since you do not pick all the feathers, the
ducks look only a little ragged after the picking. Very soon new feathers
will grow back. Slowly the feathers will accumulate sc that by the end of
the summer even with only a few ducks, you will have enough fresh, clean
feathers to make a pair of pillows.
Reach over and put the feathers in the bag.
Turn the duck over and pick the back.
Showing the soft down under the feathers.
Interview by Gina Hilton and Jenny Kelso
Photographs by Robert McKenzie
thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/bittersweet/sp74b.htm
Plucking DUCKS
by Gina Hilton
Luxuries like feather beds and pillows used to be commonplace household
items in any Ozark farm home. Though people worked hard to raise and make
everything they needed to live, the women saw to it that they were as
comfortable as possible with the resources available to them. Right at hand
were the feathers on their poultry flocks. Most farm women had a few ducks
and geese to supply the family with feathers and enough left over to give a
pair of pillows and a feather bed to each child as he married. It was an
easy matter to set a few duck eggs under an old setting hen, and be in the
feather business.
Most of the people born before 1930 slept on feather beds and pillows in
their childhood. Though many now use mattresses, they still much prefer
feather pillows to cotton or foam rubber ones because of resiliency and
life in the feathers which will last for years.
Hazel Cravens learned to pluck ducks and geese from her mother while
growing up on a farm. Borrowing her nephew's ducks, she showed us how.
Besides the ducks you do not need much equipment to pick feathers. Two
straight chairs, a cotton bag to put feathers in and a cloth to tie the
duck's feet are all that is needed.
Have a comfortable chair that has a flat seat low enough that your feet
rest comfortably on the ground. The back of the other chair is to hold the
cotton bag. Make sure the bag and chair are close together because your
arms will get tired putting feathers in the bag. Since you are going to be
there for a long time, be as comfortable as possible.
[4]
The cotton bag is put over the back of the extra chair so that it does not
fall off. Hazel likes a clean bag or white feed sack of any kind. She said,
"You can make a bag out of any kind of material, but if you have a clean
white feed sack, that's one of the best things to pick in. The air will go
through this bag and the feathers will dry out faster in a bag of this
type. Turn it wrong side out so they won't get in the seam. We'd lose a lot
of feathers getting caught in this seam."
You also need a strong cloth string to tie the duck's legs. The soft wide
cloth will not cut into the flesh of the duck.
Ducks hatched in the spring are usually ready to pick in hot weather. Pick
in a shady place out of the wind. Early in the morning when it is not too
hot is a good time. Ducks are usually ready to pick when they are two
months old. After that they can be picked every six weeks until cold
weather.
You cannot get enough feathers for a full pillow from one duck, nor even
ten. The feathers will keep if you do not get enough the first picking.
Simply air the feathers outside in the bag for several days before hanging
up in a dry place. After you pick the second or third time, you may have
enough for a pair of pillows.
When you have your chair and bag ready, catch a duck and tie her feet
together with the cloth string so that you can handle the duck while
picking and so that her sharp toes will not scratch you. Hazel told us,
"You cross your legs, if you can, and wrap your string around a couple of
times. Probably one knot will hold it. You hold her feet as you pick. You
put her head kind of behind you under your arm. You turn her down for
obvious reasons and then you pull the feathers out."
When you pull the feathers, just get one handful at a time. Once you get
some feathers in your hand, do not let go or they will blow away. Just
reach over and put them in the bag. Use one hand to pull the feathers out
and the other to hold the duck's feet.
The down and small feathers are what you want. When picking the down, be
careful not to skin the duck. Picking ducks does not hurt them. They will
lose the feathers anyway. You pick on the underside of the duck, then turn
her over and pick on her back around the wings and neck. You can pull the
longer feathers too, but you should not put them in the pillow because they
have stiff quills that would make an uncomfortable place. You can pull them
if they are in the way to get the softer ones for she will shed them also.
You should pick ducks before the second growth comes in and they have
already lost some of the first growth. The new feathers, or green feathers,
have moisture in them. They can be used in pillows but they take too long
to dry. The main reason for getting your ducks picked at regular times is
so the feathers will not be green.
When the bags are half to three-fourths full, tie the open ends. Hang the
bag of feathers outside in the shade to air, on a good windy day. Take the
feathers in at night so the dew will not fall on them to keep them
completely dry. If there were no green feathers, a few hours of airing will
probably be enough.
Feathers have oil in them. If you hang them in the sun, or store them in a
hot place, the oil will be drawn out. Since ducks are naturally clean,
feathers require no cleaning or washing if picked and aired properly. If
the feathers do get oily, they can be washed, bag and all, but they are
very hard to dry. It would be impossible to take them out of the bag, so
they must be aired for several days while you fluff the feathers up many
times.
Tie the ducks feet with a cloth rag.
Pull the feathers out with your fingers ....
one hand at a time.
Sometimes if the family has a large enough flock of ducks and geese there
would be enough feathers to sell. In the 1920's feathers would bring about
a dollar a pound but it takes an awful lot of feathers to make a pound,
probably the feathers from four or five ducks.
Ducks and geese besides furnishing feathers, have several other uses. They
lay big eggs which with a slice of meat and biscuits prepare you for the
day. If the flock increases, the extra ducks can be sold in the fall when
it gets too cold to pick. or the ducks can be eaten. A few ducks or geese
around the farm make good pets and are enjoyable to watch. The soft voiced
drakes, recognized by the two feathers that curl on their tails and the
loud-mouthed females always seem happy and have so much fun in the nearby
pond.
[6]
After plucking the feathers, let the ducks loose. They usually waddle off
awkwardly quacking loudly their opinion of recent indignity. Relieved of
some of their feathers, the ducks are probably more comfortable in the hot
weather. Far from being bare since you do not pick all the feathers, the
ducks look only a little ragged after the picking. Very soon new feathers
will grow back. Slowly the feathers will accumulate sc that by the end of
the summer even with only a few ducks, you will have enough fresh, clean
feathers to make a pair of pillows.
Reach over and put the feathers in the bag.
Turn the duck over and pick the back.
Showing the soft down under the feathers.
Interview by Gina Hilton and Jenny Kelso
Photographs by Robert McKenzie
thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/bittersweet/sp74b.htm