Understanding How Well Feathers Insulate

[Florida Bullfrog]

I couldn't figure out which forum would be most appropriate. I settled on Flock Management, as it may make a difference how you consider dealing with extremes in temperature.

I recently got a thermal rifle scope after a trespasser invaded my farm at night several weekends ago. No harm came of it, but I realized I didn't have a way to search for someone at night that might be making themselves hard to find. I've been familiarizing myself with the scope, this being my first thermal scope/camera. It's fascinating what it's showing me about my chickens.

It has different vision modes. All of the modes highlight heat. In this first mode, heat is represented by white. The next pictures are with a more traditional heat view where red represents hot and cool colors represent corresponding cooler temperatures.

Hens on metal gate.

Pullet in a coop.

Hen in a fig tree.

For comparison, a dog at close and far range:

Mammal hair and feathers have fundamentally different properties in how they insulate, at least compared to the short haired hound I have. I'm sure some dogs with adaptations to northern climates may look differently. You can see a chicken radiates most of their heat off their faces and their legs. Some heat is found on their feathers compared to the background environment but nothing like their unfeathered areas. I think this is fascinating.

 

[User105877]

Just think it goes to show how they can handle the cold much better than most think. In southern IL we will have two or three spells where the heat index in 110+ for about a week. My birds usually spend most of the day laying down in the dirt, in the shade, or wings spread out panting. They adapt and deal with it but you can tell they don’t necessarily enjoy it. Come winter 20-30 degree temps don’t seem to bother them at all unless it snows. Which let’s be honest, I wouldn’t like walking barefoot in the snow either. Lol. Of course some breeds handle temperature extremes better than others, just what I’ve seen with my flocks over the years.

 

[aart]

Which let’s be honest, I wouldn’t like walking barefoot in the snow either.

Chicken feet have a special circulation that helps deal with walking on cold surfaces.

Mine walk on snow most winters, and if it's actively snowing the snow can gather on their backs without melting(another example of feather insulation).

 

[user651618]

Nice thermal. I've always wondered about the quality on commercially available ones, but that resolution is great.

 

[Shadrach]

Thermal imaging has been used as a stress assessment tool for some time now.
The science behind interpreting what such images mean when it comes to insulation and more importantly, does the subject feel cold is far from straightforward.
This is a picture sent by my niece who is involved in one such study.

 

[SourRoses]

Cool!

The only breed I've seen actually enjoy the heat are Genetic Hackle. They choose the sun over shade and bask even when it's 95f. Their thin long feathers must allow for better ventilation. I'd love to see them on the thermal!

 

[Shadrach]

An interesting question to consider is what is a sub tropical/tropical fowl doing with that level of insulation when the jungles in which they live may have temperatures in the 30C to 35C range and never drop below freezing.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Nice thermal. I've always wondered about the quality on commercially available ones, but that resolution is great.

This one is entry level. It seems good enough to distinguish medium sized mammals at 100 yards. It has no optical zoom, just a 2x magnification by default then a digital zoom. The actual picture looking through the scope is sharper and less pixilated that how they appear in the pictures. I went with this one because its small. About the same size as an Aimpoint red dot. I’ll post a pic of it in the hunting thread. I wanted something that wasn’t bulky. I have a non-thermal night scope that’s too big and heavy to use to sweep an area with.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

An interesting question to consider is what is a sub tropical/tropical fowl doing with that level of insulation when the jungles in which they live may have temperatures in the 30C to 35C range and never drop below freezing.

I wonder how junglefowl compare to other tropical, ground dwelling birds in terms of head retention or dissipation? I imaging birds that fly regularly have any excess heat offset by the act of flying. I also wonder how much a chicken’s naturally high body heat factors into a chicken’s perception of heat?

 

[SourRoses]

Tropical ranges offer something many keepers don't have... deep, dense shade from complete forest canopies. They also get a lot of rain, providing moist, cool, bug rich soil. The temperature down there is going to be a lot different than out in the cultivated land and cities where people put out thermometers.