# Washing Goose Feathers and Down



## Breezy (Jun 5, 2009)

I've been dry plucking the Geese (after butcher) and collecting the down and feathers. 

How do I wash/prepare the down and feathers? I'd like to make pillows.

I've read to put them in a pillowcase, sew it shut and wash in the machine on gentle w/gentle soap. And wash 2x again. 
Then dry on low heat, stopping to fluff every 15 mins until dry. 

Does this sound right? I don't want to ruin them!
Do they need a trip to the freezer, too? 

I do have pillow ticking to make covers, after that.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

This is from Dave Holderread's "The Book of Geese".

"Goose feathers are a valuable byproduct of butchering. If you plan to save the feathers, keep the down and small body feathers separate from the large stiff plumes of the wings, tail and body as the slaughtered birds are being picked.
When geese are scalded prior to picking, the feathers should be washed with a gentle detergent and rinsed thoroughly in warm water. (If a washer and dryer are available, feathers can be placed in a pillowcase and washed and dried in this manner.) Spread feathers out several inches thick on a clean, dry surface or place loosely in cloth sacks of porous faqbric - such as burlap or cheesecloth - and hang in a warm room or on a clothesline. Wet feathers should be fluffed and stirred several times daily. Once they are well dried, feathers can be bagged and stored in a clean, dry location." 

Sounds like your instructions were pretty close, but no freezing necessary.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

This is what we do for both duck and goose feathers, just use a Newer pillow case and sew it shut really well. Just remebering the time I used an older pillow case and had it come apart, what a mess.


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## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

Hi Breezy,

I'm going to be butchering some geese soon for the first time. I have done chickens before. 

I'm trying to figure out how to kill them. Did you use a cone? I'm thinking that that would damage the feathers.

Also, when you dry pluck them do you just grab a handful and pull in the opposite way they lay?

Thanks
Maria


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## Breezy (Jun 5, 2009)

We raise Pilgrims, now. Even though they're smaller than the Embdens they still don't fit in our cones. My husband somehow holds the goose over the stump and uses a very sharp machete. I know he holds the goose for a while d/t wing flapping. (My "job" is to stand nearby monitoring how many leaves fall, how quick the grass grows...)

We have a plucker, and it works fantastic on the chickens. Geese...were a mess! We've made pin-feather mistakes before...We are in the 22-26 wk window this year...they are picking quite nicely!

I start on the breast w/neck toward me, and pull the feathers toward me...so that's against the growth. The feathers pull separately from the down very easily. I went around and pulled ALL the feathers, then the down. I think it might have been even smarter to clear the entire breast first, for cooling. I dunno, I'm not too worried, as it didn't take me all that long. 

Long enough, though, that I only do one at a time/day.


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## Breezy (Jun 5, 2009)

Thank you for clarifying and advise...I can just picture the mess of feathers!!

I'm going to fill well-stitched pillowcases LOOSELY, and wash on gentle x 2. Dry and fluff. 

PS: My husband says he holds the feet along with the wing tips in one hand...the goose calmly goes along w/the technique. He would prefer a goose-cone, though. (His last ho-made goose cone was a fail.) He's heard an orange safety cone has potential.


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