Unusual sleeping / napping posture

[BigBlueHen53]

Shelly's a great name, BTW!

 

[centrarchid]

This emmersion in close chicken interactions around the clock are yielding additional observations. Firstly, consistent with a student trial a few years back, no cecal poops produced at night. Secondly, Shelly is very prone to “cuddle” with even a modest drop in temperature. She is in very good weight and yet I can still feel her shiver to keep warm. When she cuddles the shivering stops in relatively short order. As of yesterday she started dropping her second set (1st juvenile) of tail feathers. She spends a lot of time preening while in close proximity to me.

 

[centrarchid]

Same bird as approaching adulthood. Temperature important as to whether she tucks head in feathers on back or keeps it retracted to the front. Note from side feathers completely cover her toes even when purchased on 1 x 2.

 

[Perris]

Temperature important as to whether she tucks head in feathers on back or keeps it retracted to the front.

A BBC TV show called Winterwatch aired here last week. They used a thermal camera to show how much heat birds (passerines at least) lose from their face when it's cold, and how, by tucking their heads into the feathers on their back/ behind their wing, all the heat sources disappear. The same applies with the feet. So tucking in the head v leaving it hanging / exposed or even extended (as in this thread's opening photo) may be just about the need to insulate or to lose heat.

 

[centrarchid]

A BBC TV show called Winterwatch aired here last week. They used a thermal camera to show how much heat birds (passerines at least) lose from their face when it's cold, and how, by tucking their heads into the feathers on their back/ behind their wing, all the heat sources disappear. The same applies with the feet. So tucking in the head v leaving it hanging / exposed or even extended (as in this thread's opening photo) may be just about the need to insulate or to lose heat.

I agree. When conditions thermally neutral for a given bird the head is neither tucked nor extended. Once our central heating is back up I'll be able to record posture when she is warm. When warm they also seem to stand up a lot during the night. Opening photo was extreme; Shelly was neither cool nor feeling at risk.

I wonder is some nocturnal predators such as owls can see the heat?

 

[Perris]

I wonder is some nocturnal predators such as owls can see the heat?

good question.