For a moment, even from a break from hunting, you can appreciate the colorful allure of waterfowl feathers.
The breathtaking display is exquisite and would brighten a rather dull moment.
Duck feathers are conspicuously bright, and attached to the right emotions, especially when you are bird watching. There exist a plethora of color combinations, with each duck species flying around with its distinct combo.
Waterfowl feathers are crucial to duck flight and practically all birds with the ability to fly –which forms the majority apart from a handful of exceptions. As you’ll notice, nearly all birds’ feathers have similar usages, such as pillow stuffing or upholstery padding, among others.
That said, waterfowl feathers are impressive and very well-adapted. Waterfowls have three layers of feathers: contour flight and down feathers.
Contents
The Types Of Waterfowls Feathers
Contour feathers
As the name suggests, the outer covering of feathers is composed of contour feathers; they form the defensive outer covering. These coverings form a dense barrier that’s quite resourceful against moisture and wind. The fact that feathers contain quills makes them more resistant as well.
The main component of single contour feathers is the main shaft with a collection of flowing vanes on each side of the shaft. You can think of the vanes as shingles the way they overlap each other, creating that impenetrable barricade.
To facilitate flight, the feathers are connected to muscles within the waterfowl body. Utilizing these muscles, the ducks can flap their wings and even return them to position when stationary.
Flight contour feathers
Waterfowls have special feathers that are well adapted for flight. They can easily endure strain and stress while flying.
To reinforce flight, these feathers are directly connected to bones and ligaments. But they have a slight difference from the body feathers since they have irregular vanes, narrower at the edge.
The design is ideal for lifting and frontward propulsion.
Down feathers
They form the innermost layer of the feathers. They are the readily identifiable byproduct of ducks and waterfowl in general. Their primary function involves trapping warm air close to the duck’s body.
Unlike the contour feathers, they have a short shaft and are soft, fluffy because they don’t have the barbules that the pennaceous feathers have. They were the lining source for down pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, duvets, and clothing before new technologies emerged. The rule of thumb is, the bigger the down cluster, the fluffier the end down product.
Scientific studies estimate the pintail species to have nearly 15,000 feathers, a tundra swan has slightly above 25, 000 and a mallard has above 11,900.
Nowadays, there are down alternatives like faux or synthetic down, but most people will agree that the natural down results in better products.
What Are Some Of The Exciting Uses Of Waterfowl Feathers?
The down feathers of waterfowl have been a mainstay in most cultures for many centuries.
They are the most popular type of duck feathers in use by humans. The indigenous people of North America used down feathers for religious ceremonies.
Most countries in Europe have some form of use of the down feathers, mainly for insulation. Technological advancements may have reduced over-dependence on soft fluffy feathers, but they are still used in various forms.
In some countries such as Iceland, people farm eiders for their own.
1. Waterfowl Feathers (Down) As Insulators
When the temperature drops, down becomes one of the most effective insulation forms for many people. Typically, you’ll notice the down packaged in feather pillows, sleeping bags, duvets, and coats.
The down feathers (especially goose down) are excellent thermal insulators. As early as the 17th century, Russians have recorded documents that showed they sold the stuff to the Dutch merchants.
While hunting might not offer enough down feathers, it is still a good source of the product. Most of the commercial down is produced from domesticated geese.
The largest producer of down in the world is China. The birds are reared for meat, and down is regarded as a byproduct. We also get a fair share of down from Europe and Canada.
Although there has been some concern by animal rights groups about plucking down from live ducks; it is illegal to do so in Europe and the US.
If a product is labeled 100% down, it is expected to contain purely down feathers. However, if it is listed as containing down, then it might as well contain synthetic fibers too.
Synthetic fibers help to supplement or entirely replace down feathers because natural products tend to be more expensive than their synthetic counterparts.
Naturally, the effect of down is measured using “fill power,” meaning the higher the numeral, the better insulation it provides.
The eider waterfowl feathers possess the highest rating, and they are quite costly. However, you can still achieve robust insulation with half the power rating of the eider.
Down should be kept away from moisture because its insulation properties vanish immediately. The down waterfowl feathers have an advantage over the synthetic because they are lightweight and last longer.
2. Waterfowl Feathers As Upholstery Padding
While the waterfowl feathers function in upholstery may be hidden from plain sight, they serve a crucial ergonomic purpose. You do not find duck and goose feathers in most upholstery because they tend to be costlier than synthetic fibers.
Their upscale standing means that waterfowl feathers are defined as a soft luxurious brand of upholstery filling. Since the waterfowl feathers or down are soft, the cushions tend to allow you to sink in your sofa with a lot of comforts.
In a sense, you are getting value for your money when you settle on feathers or down for your cushion or sofa padding.
Ducks offer the most affordable form of fillings and padding. Geese paddings precisely down are costlier in the commercial spectrum. The casing needs to be well designed to retain the feathers and down inside.
Waterproof casings are recommended because when spills take place, the fillings will not get wet. The cushions are made when feathers and won are blown into stitched channels using down-proof ticking.
Nevertheless, waterfowl feathers and down cushions require regular maintenance. All in all, the most common natural sofa filling is waterfowl feathers and down. They can be used on several upholstery components such as pillows, pads, bolsters, seats, and arms.
3. Waterfowl Feathers For Making Feather Meal
Waterfowl feathers are not only used as insulators or padding— but they also have a nutrient scoring function. They are used in the provision of proteins as feather meal.
In other words, the duck feathers you might regard as waste are turned into a protein-rich meal for other animals. Moreover, the feather meal is used in the manufacturing of fertilizers.
Even though we said it is a protein source, naturally, it’s not nutrient-ready. It is subjected to a series of processes that turn it from a low-grade protein source to an enriched meal for domesticated animals.
First of all, waterfowl feathers are amino acid-deficient, and the keratin found in feathers is not simply digestible in its natural form.
The feathers undergo a hydrolysis process to strengthen them as animal feeds. The hydrolysis process is controlled and helps break disulphur bonds in amino acids and turn them into hydrolyzed feathers.
Afterward, the hydrolyzed feathers are dried up, retaining eight percent moisture. They are then ground to produce proper feather meal. In the European Union, all feather meal produced is a modified version.
Notably, the feather meal is not used to feed all species; specific species would benefit from such meals. In most cases, even when you had to enjoy a sumptuous duck meal, the feathers are left as waste.
However, they reenter the food chain as a protein-rich meal for other animals through the production of feather meal. They are easily disposed of with a positive environmental impact.
4. Other Exciting Uses Of Waterfowl Feathers
Although there is ongoing research, waterfowl feathers contain keratin capable of producing diapers and even biodegradable plastics.
Some companies have either started trials or production of these products with substantial success. Since the general makeup of feathers is similar, waterfowl feathers may prove valuable in this regard.
The waterfowl feathers can be a great alternative and a raw material source for producing these environmentally friendly products. Perhaps, in the future, there will be more usage of the keratin in feathers allowing for more straightforward disposal of what would have otherwise been wasted.
Conclusion
Waterfowl feathers are a good bunch either on a small scale or industrial-grade production.
They are a great source of raw material for feather meal, which is an innovative animal meal.
However, the universally recognized usage of waterfowl feathers is a source of insulation material, especially during winter seasons. They are excellent insulators both on the ducks and for human use.
Some of the most significant winter clothing in your closet may contain soft and fluffy down for better insulation. Additionally, the waterfowl feathers and down are used as fillings in upholstery.
Since they are associated with prestige because of their source and production process, they remain a luxurious alternative to synthetic fibers. Ultimately, there are useful aspects of the waterfowl feathers. Your hunting spree may not be a great source of commercial feathers or down, but it helps if the waste from slaughtering is used in an environment-friendly way.
