If you’re keen to pluck some feathers off of a dead bird then all you need is some time and patience. It isn’t very hard and with a brief explanation, anyone can get to plucking bird feathers. Whether you’re plucking a bird’s feathers to get it ready to cook or because you’re a collector of feathers this article will explain how to best pluck the birds feathers.
Plucking the feathers off of a dead bird entails holding the bird upside down, grabbing a couple of feathers at a time in between your fingers, and pulling them against the direction of growth. Do this all over the body and pluck smaller feathers individually.
Table of Contents
How to pluck feathers from a dead bird
- Start off by having a seat on something that allows you to be 20 inches off the ground
- Hold the bird upside down by its legs and wings, have its head hanging. This allows you to remove the feathers in the opposite direction that they grow in
- Start on the birds back and grab a couple of feathers in your hand and pull down. The bird’s feathers should come out quite easily using this technique
- Once the back is done you can go ahead and turn the bird around and pluck the front up to the neck
- Once this is done you can move onto the legs, hold each leg one by one. Secure your finger and thumb on the leg and run your fingers down to get a large number of feathers to fall off.
- Any leftover feathers on the leg can be plucked like the feathers on the body.
- To pluck the wings grab two or three flight feathers at a time and pull. Smaller ordinary feathers can be plucked individually
- Pluck the tail feathers as well
Tip: Always pluck in the opposite direction of growth to avoid tearing the animals skin
Tip: You can scald the bird before you pluck the bird, this will make the bird easier to pluck. That being said, this gives them a soft flabby appearance so if you intend to show the bird off after plucking then do not do this
Can birds grow back plucked feathers?
Yes, birds can grow back plucked feathers. Birds will grow back their plucked feathers if given the right conditions. Bird plucking is not uncommon, a bird can pluck its own feathers or get its feathers plucked by another bird and grow then back. But, if the plucking was too harsh or repetitive and the feather follicles are damaged then the bird may not be able to grow the feathers back.
Does plucking feathers hurt the bird?
Yes, a bird getting its feathers plucked will definitely harm the bird. Their body responds to pain stimuli just as mammal bodies do. But they do not express pain like humans do as this would make them targets for predators. Predators know to hunt the sick, injured and old so a bird expressing pain will make them a target for predators. They will thus minimize their pain expression as a form of survival. But we can assume that because plucking a bird’s feathers can cause its skin to rupture then the bird would feel pain
Is it dangerous to pluck bird feathers?
Birds can carry disease in a number of ways, one of the ways is through their feathers. A bird’s feathers may not be as harmful as a birds poop but there is still some risk associated with plucking bird feathers. If your bird lives in the city then there is a greater chance of it carrying viruses, bacteria and parasites. A dead bird has more of a chance of carrying these diseases. That being said, while there is a chance of you catching something from a birds feathers the likelihood of this happening is slim.
Conclusion
In conclusion, plucking a bird’s feathers mainly entails holding the bird upside down and pulling the feathers in the opposite direction of growth, then plucking smaller feathers individually. Birds can grow feathers after they have been plucked but plucking a live bird will definitely harm the bird. When you pluck a bird there is a change of getting a virus, parasite or bacteria from the bird’s feathers but the chances of this are still pretty slim.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How to get rid of pigeons from trees, Feather rot in pigeons, why this happens and what to do, How to get rid of pigeon lice, Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?, Can birds be scared to death?, How to cremate a bird at home