Why does a duck swim: what helps it not to get wet in the water and interesting features

Why do waterfowl feathers not get wet?

The plumage of birds that live near bodies of water is covered with a thin layer of fat. It protects the body cover from getting wet. Fat also retains heat. Water flows down the back, starting from the head, if the duck emerges and swims, in such a way that it does not seep through the dense feather layer.

Birds groom themselves after each bath to renew the protective layer on their feathers. Near the tail of all waterfowl there is a special gland that produces fatty lubricant. Ducks grab it with their beaks and carefully rub it into their plumage. Muscle fibers lift the feather shafts. From the outside it looks like the bird is shaking itself off after water procedures.

She performs all these manipulations several times daily in order to stay afloat.

Scientists have proven that if you wash off the fat layer from a duck, it will drown, despite the lightness of the bones and the total supply of air in the lungs.

Presence of membranes

Webbed feet are important adaptations for movement in and under water. Ducks' legs are short compared to other birds, but they are strong and located closer to the tail. They have three main fingers with membranes and one accessory one on the inner edge. It is necessary for stability.

On land, the bird's gait looks clubbed, and ducks cannot boast of walking speed. Their paws stand vertically; when viewed from the front, they are sloping towards the center. When running on such limbs, the bird may even fall on its chest due to poor balance. In water, the paws are at an angle to the surface. It is thanks to their size and muscle strength that the bird can quickly gain speed, turn and brake.

Expert opinion

Zarechny Maxim Valerievich

Agronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best country expert.

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In fact, the entire body of the bird turns into a boat, and its legs into a motor. The streamlined body shape and flattened head contribute to the development of excellent maneuverability.

Prevention

Preventing candidiasis in chickens involves ensuring proper maintenance - cleanliness in the chicken coop, regular treatments against ectoparasites, as well as helminths. Complete nutrition is provided by factory-made compound feed or feed mixture prepared from BVMK and cereal dirt. We should not forget about the shell, which is poured into separate feeders or added to the feed mixture. If chickens roam around the yard, gravel may not be included in the diet. Such techniques will help prevent a decrease in immunity.

Feed

Some poultry farmers practice using wet mash. Such food increases the appetite of chickens, but if used carelessly, it can lead to thrush or feed poisoning. You should not feed the bird spoiled or fermented melons, vegetables, and fruits.

Caution is required when feeding chickens food waste, which may contain salt, spices, and serve as a good breeding ground for the development of yeast and putrefactive microflora.

The chicken coop should be clean, dry and warm.

All diseases of chickens occur from the inattentive attitude of the owners towards them. They should not be perceived as recyclers of food scraps and gardening waste. There is no need to conduct experiments on feeding birds with non-traditional feeds. It is necessary to ensure that the owners and chickens feel satisfaction from communicating with each other.

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Plumage

It is known that ducks can stay in icy water for a long time and move calmly through the snow. Some species even sleep right on the waves, with their heads tucked under their wings. There is no mystery in this, it’s all about the special feather layer.

Riddles for ingenuity.

Why does a duck swim (from the shore).

Why is the tongue in the mouth (behind the teeth).

How many ends do three sticks have? What about four? What about four and a half? (6, 8, 10).

7 candles were burning. Two candles went out. How many candles are left? (Or two or seven. Two, because the rest burned out. Seven, because nothing is said which candles should be counted. Two extinguished and five burning - a total of seven.)

An animal is sitting on the window. The tail is like a cat, whiskers, paws, ears are like a cat, but she is not a cat herself. Who is this? (Cat).

There are 3 pencils of different lengths on the table. The longest one is in the middle. How can I remove it from the middle without touching it? (You need to move any outer pencil).

If five cats catch five mice in five minutes, how long does it take one cat to catch one mouse? (5 minutes).

Read also: Lakenfelder chickens: all the most important things about breeding at home

One egg is boiled for 3 minutes. How many minutes will it take to cook 2 eggs (3 minutes).

The dog was tied to a ten-meter rope and walked three hundred meters. How did she do it? (The rope was not tied to anything.)

Can there be eggs on an apple tree? (Yes, in a bird's nest).

When a chicken stands on one leg, it weighs 2 kg. How much will she weigh if she stands on two legs (2 kg).

What is heavier: a kilogram of iron or a kilogram of fluff? (It is clear to us that they weigh the same. But for the baby this is not at all obvious. Most likely, he will answer that iron is heavier. This is a good reason to talk about scales, mass and everything connected with it).

When is a boy called by a woman's name? (When he is a sleepyhead).

List five days in a row, without naming numbers or days of the week (The day before yesterday, yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow).

What do you drop when you need it and pick it up when you don't? (Anchor)

What can travel around the world while remaining in the same corner? (Postage Stamp)

Is it possible to light a match underwater? (You can if you pour water into a glass and hold the match below the glass)

How can a thrown egg fly three meters without breaking? (You need to throw the egg four meters, then it will fly the first three meters intact)

What will happen to the green stone if it falls into the Red Sea? (It'll get wet)

The man was driving a large truck. The lights on the car were not turned on. There was no moon either. The woman began to cross the road in front of the car. How did the driver manage to see her? (It was a bright sunny day)

Two people were playing checkers. Each played five games and won five times. Is this possible? (Both people were playing with other people)

What could be bigger than an elephant and at the same time weightless? (Shadow of an elephant).

What are all the people on earth doing at the same time? (Getting older).

Which becomes larger when placed upside down (Number 6).

How to jump from a ten-meter ladder without hurting yourself? (You have to jump from the bottom step)

What has no length, depth, width, height, but can be measured? (Time, temperature)

Which hand is better to stir tea? (It is better to stir the tea with a spoon)

When can the net pull out water? (When the water freezes)

How many sides does a hexagonal pencil have? (8 faces)

Divide 5 apples between five people so that everyone gets an apple and one apple remains in the basket. (One person takes the apple along with the basket.)

Peter Ivanovich has 7 daughters, and each of them has a brother. How many children does Pyotr Ivanovich have? (Peter Ivanovich has 8 children - 7 daughters and a son).

There is a three-volume book on the bookshelf. The thickness of each volume is 3.5 cm. The bookworm crawled from the first page of the first volume to the last page of the third volume (in a straight line). What journey did he take? Neglect the thickness of the cover. (The first page of the first volume and the last page of the third volume are adjacent to the second volume. So the path of the worm is equal to the thickness of the second volume, i.e. 3.5 cm).

If this day does not follow Monday and does not precede Thursday, and tomorrow is not Sunday and yesterday was not Sunday, and the day after tomorrow is not Saturday and the day before yesterday was not Wednesday, then what kind of day is it? (Sunday).

How much earth will be in a hole 2 meters wide, 2 meters long and 2 meters deep? (Not at all - the holes are always empty).

Kolya, Sasha and Yura were interrogated by the police in connection with the theft of a bicycle. Kolya said that Sasha stole the bike. Sasha declared that he was innocent. Yura said that he is not a thief either. The policeman knew that only one of them was telling the truth. Who stole the bike? (If Kolya stole the bike, then Sasha and Yura are telling the truth. If Sasha stole it, then Kolya and Yura are telling the truth. If Yura stole it, then only Sasha is telling the truth. That means Yura is the thief).

A snail was crawling along a tree trunk 30 meters high. During the day it can rise up 3m, but during the night it slides down 2m. How long will it take her to get to the top? (It will take the snail 28 days to reach the top).

Katya and Alisa are twins. Once during the holidays they decided that Alice would always tell the truth, no matter what question was asked to her, and Katya would always lie. How can you tell which sister you're talking to by asking her just one question? (Ask a question that you can immediately check the answer to. For example: “Is the sun shining?”)

The fairy-tale gnome needs a new candle every night, with which he lights his way while wandering around the city. He can make 1 new candle from 5 candle stubs. If he has 25 candles, how many nights will his supply of new candles last? (For 6 nights. He can make 5 new candles from 25 cinders, and when they burn out, he can make the sixth of those 5 cinders that remain from them).

On the pirate ship there are several cats, several sailors, a cook and a one-legged captain. All of them together have 15 heads and 41 legs. How many cats were on the ship? (There were 6 cats on the ship).

The train is 1 km long. travels at a maximum speed of 60 km/h. He enters a forest 1 km long. How long will it take the train to pass through this forest? (It will take 2 minutes. The lead car will pass in one minute, but the last car will leave the forest in 2 minutes).

This was given to you, and it belongs to you now. You have never passed it on to anyone, but everyone you know uses it. What it is? (Your name).

A winemaker usually sells his wine in 30 and 50 liter bottles and only uses jugs of this size. One of the buyers wanted to buy 10 liters. How did the winemaker measure out 10 liters for him using his jugs? (First, he filled the 30-liter jug and poured its contents into the 50-liter one. Then he filled the 30-liter one again and filled the 50-liter one until it was full. As a result, he will have 10 liters left in the jug.)

Three years ago, Nastya was 7 times older than her sister Veronica. Two years ago, Nastya was 4 times older than Veronica. A year ago, Nastya was 3 times older than Veronica. How old are Nastya and Veronica? (Nastya is 10 years old, and Veronica is 4 years old).

Read also: Golden pheasant at home: how to breed and what to feed

If 5 cats take 5 minutes to catch 5 mice, how many cats will it take to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes? (Still only 5 cats - provided they don't get tired or bored).

What question should you always answer “yes” to? (To the question: “How are the letters D-A read?”)

The girl lives on the 9th floor. When she goes to school, she takes the elevator from the 9th floor to the 1st, and when she returns from school, she takes the elevator to the 6th floor, and then walks to the 9th. Why? (The girl is too short and can only reach the button with the number 6).

George Washington, Sherlock Holmes, William Shakespeare, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Napoleon Bonaparte and Nero - which of them is fundamentally different from the rest? (Sherlock Holmes. This is a fictional character).

You are in a room. There are two exits from the room: one to heaven, the other to hell. There are two wise men in the room: one always lies, the other always tells the truth. You don't know which one is which. How can you find out where to go by asking one question to any of them? (“If I ask your friend, where will he tell me to go?” And go through the other door).

The father tells his sons, saddle your horses, and ride from one city to another. Whose horse comes to the finish line LAST will receive a reward. The sons mounted their horses and barely trudged along. A wise man comes along and asks what’s the matter, why they are driving so slowly. They tell. He told them just two words and they galloped to the finish line with all their might. What did he tell them? (Swap horses).

What gets wet when dried? ( Towel).

The day before yesterday Fedya was 17 years old. Next year he will be 20 years old. How can this be? (The statement was made on January 1. Fedya’s birthday is December 31. The day before yesterday he was 17. Yesterday he turned 18. This year he will be 19, and next year he will be exactly 20).

There are two people standing at the entrance to the museum. One of them is the father of the other's son. How is this possible? (This is husband and wife).

At the family council, it was discovered that among those present there were the following people: father, mother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, cousin, cousin, nephew, niece. But there were only four people there. How could this be? (There were a brother and sister, his son and her daughter).

Arnold Schwarzenegger has it long. Michael Fox's is short. Madonna doesn’t have it at all, and the Pope hasn’t used it for a long time... What is it? (This is a surname!)

Interesting features

Along with everything else, these funny birds have a number of unusual differences:

Ducks' feet do not freeze even in cold weather, because there are simply no blood vessels or nerve endings there.
Waterfowl are held to the surface by an air sac, which, when diving, pushes air to the back so that the beak and chest are submerged.
The third eyelid protects the duck's eyes from debris in turbid water.
Ducks can dive directly from the surface of the water, while most other birds dive from a height to do this.
When diving, birds regulate depth and speed with their wings and movable tail.
They are able to dive for 7-13 minutes if they are chasing prey. The average swimming speed is 1 m/s.
During molting, ducks try to stay in the pond as little as possible, because there is a risk of losing heat and getting their new feathers wet.
The subcutaneous layer of fat also serves as a float and warms the birds in the cold.