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MJ's little flock

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Saw a danger-noodle on this morning’s Parkrun.

68A7223B-2457-4D8B-B9D0-20BA10EDCBDC.jpeg
 
ManueB said:
Some broodies do dustbathe like crazy. They maybe realize how important it is to stay parasite free for the babies. Or that staying on the nest puts them.more at risk of getting creepy crawlies.
Click to expand...
Honestly, it's not about creepy crawlies.
Next time you have a broody hen slide your hand under her while she's sitting. It's a hot sticky mess. If you take the temperature at the body egg contact area you should find it's a couple of degrees warmer than a hens average normal body temperature and this makes the oils she secretes more viscous and it soaks into her feathers in that area. Liids accumulate in the area and the dust bathing helps to soak some of these lipids up giving the hen better skin to egg contact. Some hens even pluck their feathers in this area so as to maximise the heat transfer from her body to her eggs.
Hens rub their bellies on the eggs and if it's too sticky at the point of contact the eggs roll with her body movements.
It also seems likely that dustbathing may allow a hen to pick up some moisture on her feathers which may aid in humidity control.
Finally chickens dust bathe whether they got parasites or not. There isn't much point in dustbathing as a parasite prevenative measure. Chickens primarily dust bathe to soak up the oils that they use to condition their feathers. Some level of abrasion takes place on the feathers and this also helps to clean the feathers. The oils/lipids clump with the oil and the chicken can then remove the old oils more easily by preening.
Dust bathing is about feather and skin conditioning; it's not about parasite removal!
 
RoyalChick said:
Each to their own!
I just discovered that my closest tea-buddy here has been happily using one of those things that keep her mug warm. After a short intake of breath I have found it in my heart to overcome my tea-snobbery and forgive her.
:gig
Click to expand...
Oh no. I love that warming thing. :oops:
 
Shadrach said:
Honestly, it's not about creepy crawlies.
Next time you have a broody hen slide your hand under her while she's sitting. It's a hot sticky mess. If you take the temperature at the body egg contact area you should find it's a couple of degrees warmer than a hens average normal body temperature and this makes the oils she secretes more viscous and it soaks into her feathers in that area. Liids accumulate in the area and the dust bathing helps to soak some of these lipids up giving the hen better skin to egg contact. Some hens even pluck their feathers in this area so as to maximise the heat transfer from her body to her eggs.
Hens rub their bellies on the eggs and if it's too sticky at the point of contact the eggs roll with her body movements.
It also seems likely that dustbathing may allow a hen to pick up some moisture on her feathers which may aid in humidity control.
Finally chickens dust bathe whether they got parasites or not. There isn't much point in dustbathing as a parasite prevenative measure. Chickens primarily dust bathe to soak up the oils that they use to condition their feathers. Some level of abrasion takes place on the feathers and this also helps to clean the feathers. The oils/lipids clump with the oil and the chicken can then remove the old oils more easily by preening.
Dust bathing is about feather and skin conditioning; it's not about parasite removal!
Click to expand...
That's interesting because every single time I take a hen to the vet (which is quite often) we check for parasites and it's always "nope, no parasites here" which I put down to the extremely dry and desiccating sand the hens live on.
 
Lexicon said:
I found this one a bit trickier than the last one, but it would have been easier if I had the photo to refer to. Not sure how to do that with my phone although I am sure it's possible.

I really enjoyed doing the puzzle!
Click to expand...
So glad you enjoyed it! 🥰

I do it by having the photo in one tab of my browser and the jigsaw in another. I have to switch back and forth, but it's not too inconvenient.
 

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