I keep at least one row of feathers in front of the main tail feathers. You can also find instructions (on this forum, it think) to cut the whole back feathers with the tail fan as well.

Make sure you completely remove the tail bone.

Instead of pinning or tacking the tail feathers, I have read that you can duck tape right over the tail feathers and the tape does not stick to the feathers due to oils in them, but will hold them in place. I usually pose the feathers and sandwich them between two pieces of cardboard, and then weigh them down with something to hold them in place. I have also been told that borax works well to dry them out, but I usually don't have any around when I need it so I just use table salt. While it is drying, I also let the maggots eat any meat away that I missed (outside of course). Sounds gross, but they can clean it better than I can.

I also mount them the way 2eagles has in his center mount in his post. Cut spurs off and thread them with leather, threaded through your shotgun shell brass through the hole after you remove the firing cap. Then glue the beard inside the shotgun shell and hang.

You can also dry the feet whole. I would recommend posing the feet open and dry them like that or they will just curl up. Then cap the ends of the feet where they are cut off with shotgun shell brass.