why does water fowl feet never get cold like ours?????

Answer 1

One remarkable adaptation of many bird which have to go in cold water is a system known as the counter-current heat exchange system, it may sound complicated but it's actually quite simple. The warm blood flowing into the legs warms up the cold blood going back to the body. They are able to control this so that they loose a minimum amount of heat but are able to control it in order to ensure the legs don't freeze. They may be cold but they don't freeze and that's what counts, no frostbite. If its really cold they can bring their legs back into the feathers to keep them warmer. You may have also noticed that they have very little muscle on the bottom portion of the leg, the muscles are actually higher up in the feathers and control the feet with tendons, this is another measure to conserve heat/ avoid cold damage.

Answer 2

Ducks, and other warm-blooded animals that remain active during the winter in cold climates, don't seem to mind having cold feet, noses, ears, etc. Apparently these areas of the body are not supplied with many of the nerve endings that respond to cold temperatures.

A more important question physiologically is: "How do these animals avoid losing precious body heat to the environment?"

Read more at http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar97/852773600.Zo.r.html

Answer 3

They do!
Waterfowl have no choice but to bear it, they will lay down to eat just to protect their feet from the cold. They will stand with one leg up (not only to sleep) to keep it warm and then switch to the other one!
I've seen a Muscovy sit in one place on a pond in the ice and snow, for days at a time, only to protect his feet from the bitter cold! (I took him home with me after witnessing that!)
Many times ducks and geese will deny a meal, just to stay in the water where their feet stay 'warm'.
I love their spirit and their ability to endure hardship. If the cold doesn't get them, and they survive until spring, the joy they display on the first 'warm' day is truely inspiring!

I've been taking care of wild ducks and geese for 7yrs. and I've rescued 6 baby Peking ducks that someone had heartlessly 'dumped' at a pond, thinking that 'someone' would feed them! They were too young to forage on their own and hadn't been shown by an adult duck, where to go and forage!
I've rescued 4 Canadian geese..2 with limb loss due to fishing line, 1 that I witnessed being hit by a car..(people kept running over this poor creature and it was still alive!) I have this bird at my home and he only has a broken wing! And the other one was an outcast among the flock because he had tumors on his face and wasn't acceptable for 'survival of the flock reasons'.

I've become a better person since I've been 'hanging out' with these wonderful birds! I've learned a few of their communication sounds/movements and it's funny to watch them react to it when I do them.
So, take some deer corn and a fresh loaf of bread to your local pond where these birds go and make a few friends and see if you don't become a better person for it!

Answer 4

Water fowl have insulating body fat and dense water repellent feathers. Have a ducky day. (I know, I'm corny so sorry)

Answer 5

They don't have nerve endings in their feet.