I too would like a better UV map with the feathers separated. I started doing it in Lightwave,where I have no problem selecting single feathers, but it's slow going, because I am trying to put the same sized feathers on top of each other to save space on the map. The model is heavy in UV mode for my system. Although just separating the feather would be easier, I could give it a go that way if you can wait a few days.

Dominique Digital Cats Media