Seriously Alisdair, theremust bea way to skin the bird, because what you buy in the tackle shop as capes (e.g. the feathered neck) and saddle (e.g. the back) are still attached to the skin. I assume that the bird (once dispatched) is slit lengthwise down the fron of the neck or around the top of its back, and the skin is then peeled back. I would imagine that some kind of nuetralising chemical or compound is then applied to the skin to stop it rotting or stinking the house out. I've never done it myself, co's I tend to buy what I need.
Most Cock saddle feathers are good only for making lures, because the feather fibres are much too long to use for hackles. As such, most saddles therefor tend to be dyed some bright colour.
Cock capes can produce feathers with shorter fibres, but the genetically bred birds, bred for the overall length of cape feathers as well as the shortness of fibres, are very good and top quality ones are very expensive. Ifyou can stretch your budget to buy one or two, you would almost certainly want to reserve the feather for dry flies.
Hen capes are used mostly for tying wet flies, because the fibres tend to be much limper than those on the cock feather.
Apolgies for making fun of you,
Regards,
Colin