Birds shed and moult their feathers naturally. At times, there will be many feathers, you might think you bird is going to go bald. Don't worry, it is all natural and normal. But do not throw those feathers away! Not only will you be able to use them for crafts, or if you do not want them for yourself, there are people that will pay you for them if they are in nice shape and shipped correctly.

At Christmas and other Holiday times a crafter can make a variety, unending variety, of ornaments, crafts and decor ideas. If you do an Internet search for ideas and patterns that your duck's feathers can become. One thing to think about is having those feathers from your duck for, basically, ever.

How much are the feathers worth? Well they are usually sold by the ounce, white feathers usually sell better then others for the fact they can be dyed. What the feathers are worth depend on so many factors. First of all what condition they are in. Also the colors, the size, and the biggest factor, what the "craft of the day" is.

I have outdoor geese, ducks, guineas and chickens. Now and again I go outside with a ziplock bag and just start filling it. I do try to keep feather sizes separate in different ziplocks. Since you can not know, not even if you only have one goose/bird inside your home, if it has parasites or not without a microscope, seal your baggie full of feathers and set them in the freezer for 24 hours. Then take them out, open the bag so that it is very opened, and let them set for another 24 hours. You let the bag set open after taking it out of the freezer so that if there was any moisture inside the bag that froze it can thaw and escape.

If you are going to dye the color of your feathers you may do this anytime after the 2 days of prep. If you are using hot water with the die it is still a good idea to freezer the feathers first for 24 hours.

With your larger feathers, cleaned and cut correctly, you can still in this day use them for a Quill Writing Pen. These seem to sell no matter what year it is on the calendar.

If you are crafty and creative you might just make enough money to pay for your ducks care using the feathers it moults. If you also create a craft with the duck's egg shells you might pay a bill or two. Most egg crafts are done with eggs that are blown and carved, so it does take a lot of talent, time, patients and practice, but it could sure pay off. Just do not forget when marketing your Crafted Eggs that you will need to pack your Crafted Eggs well for them to make the trip to your customers in one piece so research what shipping charges should be so that you do not loose money.