The wonderful properties of chicken feathers

[K0k0shka]

Not sure where to put this, just wanted to share a very cool (and impressive) observation, on how great chicken feathers are at doing their job.

A couple of days ago I had to urgently process a cockerel (doing a favor for somebody whose neighbors had complained, and the bird had to go). She dropped him off in the morning, but I had other plans for the day and wasn't going to be able to do the whole processing that morning. I didn't want him to stay caged all day either. So I did an "interrupted processing", where I gutted him first, refrigerated him, and went back to scald and pluck him later that evening. Before I put him in the fridge, I placed a ziploc baggie full of ice in the body cavity, and one under each armpit, to speed up the cooling process since feathers are a good insulator. That was around 9am in the morning. By the time I went back to finish him off, it was around 9 in the evening, so a full 12 hours. The baggie in the body cavity was full of liquid water by that point, which was to be expected. But the ones under his armpits? Full of INTACT ICE CUBES!!!!!! 12 hours at refrigerator temperature, and the ice had not melted! Daaaaaaamn those feathers really work! And the ones under/on the wings aren't exactly the fluffiest either, but they still did their job.

And this is why chickens do just fine in the winter! They have the best coats.

 

[azygous]

I agree. A couple winters ago during molt, I saved the best downy feathers and made myself some "feather socks" to try to counter the freezing of the toes on one foot due to poor circulation, which can end up in a condition called chilblains. It causes swelling and blisters that take weeks to heal. The socks worked, even though they had to be tossed after a few weeks due to poor construction.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree. A couple winters ago during molt, I saved the best downy feathers and made myself some "feather socks" to try to counter the freezing of the toes on one foot due to poor circulation, which can end up in a condition called chilblains. It causes swelling and blisters that take weeks to heal. The socks worked, even though they had to be tossed after a few weeks due to poor construction.

Wow, I would've never thought of that! That's a pretty cool idea. I suffer from chilblains so I spend all late fall thru mid-spring trying to keep fingers and toes warm (or at least at consistent temperatures).

 

[raingarden]

Anybody ever try drying the feathers after scalding and plucking. All that effort to pluck the darn things wouldn't be as bad if you could end up with some nice fluffy feathers.

 

[K0k0shka]

I agree. A couple winters ago during molt, I saved the best downy feathers and made myself some "feather socks" to try to counter the freezing of the toes on one foot due to poor circulation, which can end up in a condition called chilblains. It causes swelling and blisters that take weeks to heal. The socks worked, even though they had to be tossed after a few weeks due to poor construction.

Very creative! How did you make the socks? Just stuff feathers into regular socks, or did you attach the feathers to the socks somehow?

 

[K0k0shka]

Anybody ever try drying the feathers after scalding and plucking. All that effort to pluck the darn things wouldn't be as bad if you could end up with some nice fluffy feathers.

If I want to keep some feathers, like as a keepsake from favorite chickens, I pluck them before I scald, while they are still dry. I haven't bothered plucking large amounts to use for something else though, but if I wanted dry feathers I would pluck before scalding, instead of trying to dry them after.

 

[NatJ]

Anybody ever try drying the feathers after scalding and plucking. All that effort to pluck the darn things wouldn't be as bad if you could end up with some nice fluffy feathers.

I've never tried drying them, but maybe you could put them in something like a pillowcase that will contain them while letting air through. Maybe even throw the pillowcase in a clothes dryer?

I have dry-plucked some chickens. I suggest you try dry plucking part of one chicken next time you butcher, just to see how hard or easy it is. I found it harder than plucking a scalded bird, but overall less bother than setting up for the scalding, especially for just one or a few birds. The more total birds, the higher the benefits of scalding first.

Even if you don't want to dry-pluck the whole bird (wing feathers are hard!), you could pluck some fluffy feathers first, then scald and finish the plucking that way.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Anybody ever try drying the feathers after scalding and plucking. All that effort to pluck the darn things wouldn't be as bad if you could end up with some nice fluffy feathers.

I have a friend that would put wet(plucked) Feathers in a pillowcase, & wash them in the washer, then dry them in the dryer. They say it works well.

Me I just use a bag & hair dryer.

 

[azygous]

Very creative! How did you make the socks? Just stuff feathers into regular socks, or did you attach the feathers to the socks somehow?

I used Mylar, the material they use for camping/hiking survival blankets, those silver aluminum looking blankets the Trump administration issued to incarcerated refugee children in lieu of real blankets. Remember them?

It requires sewing knowledge of how to construct a double lined sock on a sewing machine, not easily described. Then I stuffed the double lining with feathers and closed it up, but left an air channel so the air can still circulate. I wore normal wool socks inside the Mylar feather sock.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wanted to save some pretty cockerel feathers when I was butchering so I just tossed handfulls of wet feathers onto the metal roof of the brooder (I was working right next to it), and let the sun dry them.