For you guys that grind your own wild turkey feathers, I have a question. If you cut a 4" feather, can you get 2 feathers out of the primaries, or you still only getting 1 complete feather regardless of whether you cut a 5" or 4" feather?
I usually can, but the second will have a slim rear quill.
X2 from above. I usually cut mine out of the best part of the feather , eliminating the thickest part and the thin part of the feather.
U can easily thin the width on the thicker end. A straight clamp and block sanding will do it. No fancy jig needed.
My answer, can you? I say maybe! Some are damaged, some are short (ever see a 16 lb 3/4-1" spur longbeard)? Some are plenty big. Depends on the bird.
Generally yes. It can be a little touch and go but as a rule of thumb, yes.
Out of wild birds, I can easily get two 4-inch feathers. Commercial full length feathers have become shorter over time because they're butchering the birds at younger and younger ages. On those, I can usually get two 4-inchers, but as others have pointed out, the quill might thin toward the back end of one of them.
Same experience as stated above here as well.
I agree, most good primaries you can easily get two 4" feathers. If you get a really big turkey sometimes you can get two nice 5" feathers.