Chicken Down

CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK!!!

Lately I've been noticing a trend among the numerous birds' nests around the Shawhan farm. Chicken feathers have been playing an important part in the nest building materials. It's cute in the fact that what I've seen is that the feathers are what the little birdies are laying on, rather than being in the make up of the nest. Is this the animal kingdom's version of goose down bedding???

The picture above is what was left of a barn swallow's nest that was in the rafters above Charlie's stall. It was there one night when I went to put him out in the pasture, and then the next morning I found it laying demolished on the ground.

We had another swallow nest out our front door and on the side of the porch awning. It was there last summer because I saw babies in it. Momma had come back this year, but I wanted a nail on the porch for a hanging flower basket and all of Dan's pounding sent it to the ground. I was kind of sad about that and I'm hoping Momma re-builds, but thanks to so many foreclosed nests in the area, I'm thinking she won't. Anyway, her nest was filled with chicken down as well.

I suppose this is a popular housing trend in the area and maybe it helps with real estate value. After all chicken down looks soft and comfortable...it is a great insulator and helps to wick away moisture. Using it helps keep the surrounding area free from random chicken feather litter and is therefore a reusable resource that doesn't rob our our environment of its natural resources. All these little birds are going green! Maybe I could start selling chicken down....

Personally I have never owned anything made of feathers...unless you count my flock of chickens, but not as far as bedding is concerned. Anytime I have laid on a feather pillow it's too soft and in all honesty it freaks me out feeling the feathers inside.

Here you can see a nest in the barn that is currently using chicken down for the babies. You can see the beak of one....

I do know people who love their goose down comfronters and the warmth they provide during the cooler months; I just don't think it's for me...it just must be for the birds!


                                                                               ...cluck... cluck... cluck...