sterilize chicken feathers?

[Rosendula]

My chicken is moulting and there are beautiful white feathers everywhere. My 4YO loves craft activities. Well, put them together and what have you got? Me wondering if I should clean/sterilize them first and if so, how? A big part of me is saying not to bother, but I grew up with parents who wouldn't let me walk bare foot in case the germs got under my toenails and worked their way up my body and ate the back of my eyes, so I still get a bit twitchy now and again. What do you think? Is it a daft question, or a sensible one?

[happy place]

not so daft but i personally wouldnt bother
first i would get the feathers back off my five year olds (easier said than done ) then if they looked clean give them back and tell them not to eat them

my parents where of the camp where if things fell on floor theyed pick them up give them a blow then hand it back saying clean now

hense i can now eat pretty much any thing with out being ill (record is 3month out of date chicken pie with no real side affects)

[darkbrowneggs]

I always pick up pretty feathers and have them from jays, pied woodpeckers, buzzards and lots more, plus ones from my very pretty golden pheasants when they moult. I stick them in my hat, and regularly give them to my neice and nephew and any other visiting child without a second thought, and no-one has suffered any ill effects

If my goldens were moulting I would have sent some of their feathers.

In the old days when all feathers were kept and used to make feather beds pillows and down quilts they would put them in paper bags and put them in a cool oven overnight but this was probably to kill any creepy crawlies

All the best
Sue

My Golden Pheasants-

[Ellendra]

If you're feeling cautious (and I can understand that, being just slightly paranoid myself) try tying the feathers in a pillowcase, stocking, or other cloth bag, and soak them in warm water with just a bit of detergent added. You may need to weight down the bag, some feathers float better than others. Rinse thoroughly, remove the feathers from the bag, and lay them out on a towel to dry. You may need to stroke them a few times while damp so they'll stay neat and pretty when dry.

[MuddyWitch]

Could you pop them in a bag in the freezer for a day? That's how to 'de-germ' a teddy when her 'Mum' has just recovered from a cold.

MW

[Rosendula]

my parents where of the camp where if things fell on floor theyed pick them up give them a blow then hand it back saying clean now

hense i can now eat pretty much any thing with out being ill (record is 3month out of date chicken pie with no real side affects)

That's the camp I keep trying to join, but it's hard to throw off those nagging doubts when it comes to your own kids. If it was just me I wouldn't be bothered at all.

Sue, those golden pheasants are gorgeous. No wonder you keep their feathers. The ones I'm picking up are just chicken feathers, but they are such a pure white, and the bum feathers are so fluffy and cute...

Thanks for the suggestions, Ellendra and MW. If all the ones I get are pretty clean I'll go with the freezer suggestion, but if they're mostly muddy (which is likely in my garden), I'll try the detergent suggestion.