problem with feathers???
 

Hey I did my first animal mount but I guess I picked the hardest thing to start with I did a mallard and the feathers are all out of order andraged looking anyone know how to fix that???

RE: problem with feathers???
 

trying to get pics

RE: problem with feathers???
 

It sounds like you didn't wash and rinse it enough, and before you do that all the grease and fat have to be removed. The only other reason the feathers are messed up is if they are pin feathers and there roots are not tight and they might spin and make the mount look messed up. I would follow the first two suggestions first.

RE: problem with feathers???
 

I rinsed it but that was when I got the skin off the bird

RE: problem with feathers???
 

You have to remove the fat and grease first. ALL OF IT. Then wash and rinse many times till it comes out clean. Either buy a video or a breakthrough mannual and study it before you try to do any taxidermy.

RE: problem with feathers???
 

ok here is a picture of it

RE: problem with feathers???
 

Besides all the other problems I have already told you, that bird is a grease ball. The skin has grease all over it and that is why it looks like that. Before it is mounted, and degreased it has to be cleaned with dawn and or white gas to remove all the grease that gets into the feathers. Then rinse and do it over and over until the rinse is clean and there is no more grease on the feathers. But if the grease is not removed from the inside of the bird before this part, you are just wasting your time. Please buy the breakthrough manual on waterfowl, it will really help you out. Good luck.

RE: problem with feathers???
 

do like richard said and might think about making or buying a tumbler