Odd Observation - chicks' feet are different temps

[SB Austex]

Has anyone noticed that the chicks' feet are noticeably different temperatures? I wondered if it was simply who had eaten more recently and was burning more energy, but my EE, Lucy, has cooler feet all the time. Two others were perching on me at the same time and one was definitely warmer than the other. Is this just one of those unknown, but 'normal', things?

 

[Qi Chicken]

Yes!! I have noticed this too. I think when they are comfortable their feet feel slightly cool, kind of like a snake. It has been really hot here and I have been checking on them more. When they are panting and way too hot their feet are BURNING up. One of my EEs, Marge (avatar) has feet that are usually warmer than the other breeds so I don't think cool feet are an EE trait. This may be too small of a sample size to be verified! Good question, I wondered about this too. I've read that some people put a shallow pan of water for them to cool their feet in. Does that help reduce their body temp? I tried it but the few that stepped in kind of freaked out, of course they freak out about most everything. I bet they are seriously freaking out tonight. One HECK of a thunder/lightening storm.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I had noticed some of my chicks had feet that were very warm, did not pay attention to which one it was...will have to start making notes. Interesting!

 

[felidaet]

I have noticed different feet temperatures but I assumed that the ones with cold feet had been in the run recently (It is not very warm here yet) and the warm feet had been in the coop for awhile. I will have to pay more attention to the feet temperature.

Interesting observation....

 

[MaineChick]

I have a mutt - OrpXSussex - that has hot feet all the time. She is my little special needs kid, she doesn't see well if at all and seems to have some sort of neurological problem as well. She has trouble if the food and water are moved, or the containers changed, and sort of finds everything and locates herself with her feet. She is the only one I've noticed with feet much warmer, and I wondered if she was simply more stressed than the others about being handled, causing her body temp and therefore feet to escalate.

Interesting question.

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
Yes I have noticed, too. I just thought that they might have been covering their feet while sleeping and the others had been running around. Now I wonder why that is too. I'll be interest to hear what others have to say...

 

[SB Austex]

I had just noticed it, since they are all still in the same temp pen. Now, I can just picture us all with our little lab coats and note books marking our observations and hypotheses. Hee hee.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
We nead BeakMan on the case!

I had also noticed it, idly, but now that it's been articulated, I want to know more about it, too.