HEAT LOSS IN WET DUCKLINGS AND CHICKS

Summary Wet ducklings, like wet chicks, had lower body temperatures than dry birds. The temperature depressions of the chicks decreased as they grew older. The temperature depressions of the ducklings were mainly dependent on the waterproofing of their plumage and how much of their skin became wetted. Completely waterproof ducklings, which maintained a layer of air between their skin and the water, lost heat slowly, but poorly waterproofed birds with wet skins lost heat quickly. Waterproofing was reduced in the laboratory when the ducklings' feathers became soiled and disarranged and when one swam in soapy water.