there is something called a jungle cock or a grey jungle fowl. a saddle of hackles cost up to a couple hundred dollars. looked it up online, looks like a chicken to me. anyone know if they're available? think they're from india. it would make such a nice gift to my boyfriend, really sweeten his additude about having my chickens around. any info welcome.
anyone know anything about jungle cock. want to tie flies.
Hi, bigbuffy. I have heard of jungle fowl, but don't know if there is a source for them here. If you want hackles for fly tying, why not take some feathers from your chicks and maybe find other folks with other colors to send you some for your boyfriend to use. I have given some to friends for their flies, and they were happy with the colors I was able to provide them with. I had mahogany, gold, spotted and white. They seemed to work out very well.
yes there is a red jungle fowl, grey and a green jungle fowl. they are the ancesters of all domesticated chickens. i know a few longtail breeders from other sites but i've never seen anyone here post they have them but that doesn't mean there isn't.
the only place i'd know to get them other than hatching eggs is there is a hatchery called cackle that sells chicks for them they are about $15 a chick min order 5 for that breed. there may be other hatcheries that carry them also. if i remember right there is another and they come with pedigree papers mabe marti poultry? i know that is one we where looking at the other day so i thinkit's it. cackle didn't say anything about papers with them just now when i looked so there should be one more who has them at least. check both those hatcheries if u r looking for peeps to raise them. usually about 2 years old the feathers r in their prime to use for flies.
my fil makes pro flies, i know not all colors or breeds will work for them it depends on what kind of flies he ties. he usualy buys metz and grizzly brand capes and saddles. go on ebay and type in fly tying feathers you'll find tons of feathers for flies you can buy. saddles and hackles ect even tools and such so ya might find some goodies you could get him for a gift. i know when my fil hunts he culls the birds to eat but he saves the turkey, pheasant and grouse feathers for that. ones he can't use he gives me to make natural dream catchers with so we use almost all of them so not to waste so much. there is an amish farm here that raises india blue peacocks and they sell us the feathers when in molt we both use those as well. if he has me buy him capes and saddles i know some he uses most are the dun colors, blues, crele, cream, barred and i can't remember the rest off hand.
i haven't collected from my flock when they molt but this year i will for dream catchers.
hope this helps some,
silkie
I have to ask...what are you guys talking about? What are saddles for flies? Saddle of hackles?
Hi Mcamden: In making fishing lures (tying flies), the hackle feathers are used. They are sold in fishing stores as "capes" or "saddles" of hackle feathers which is all the feathers of a given bird's hackle still on the skin--sort of like a scalp--would kind of make a "toupee" for a rooster that was "hen-feathered". My boss took me to a fish and tacke store when we were at a conference in Pennsylvania--the hackles on diplay were gorgeous--although some were dyed rather than natural colors. Apparently there is money in raising desirable types and colors of roosters for the hackle feathers alone.
Very interesting. I guess I do have some lures made of feathers...but never heard of the saddles for roosters!
Actually if you think about it roosters have both saddle feathers and hackle feathers so when they sell a "saddle of hackle" they're really confused :) Personally I have chickens that I have gotten feathers from and tied flies. We have tons of ziploc baggs full of different feathers just for fly tying! I prefer natural colors but the fish like some of those dyed feathers so I make both. I know several people who tie their own flies and will only use very specific feathers then others that aren't so particular.
Megan
They probably sell them as "saddles" or "capes" depending on where the feathers come from.
I only saw "capes" that is, hackle feathers, for sale, although the sign said "saddles." It is confusing. I kept thinking how beautiful the the whole rooster must have been before they dispatched and skinned him.
they are taken from 3 different parts of the bird if i remember right, that's why the different names.