Nature has equipped nonmigratory birds, including chickens, with a few adaptations to help them stay warm in the winter. The molting of the year’s feathers in the autumn means a fresh, fluffy down is ready by midwinter to trap air in layers that hold body heat. Huddling in the coop helps as well.
The next thing we asked ourselves was: how does a chicken adapt to its environment?
Chickens can’t sweat, which, anatomically, is a horrible inconvenience, because sweat is our bodies way of keeping us cool. However, chickens have another way of keeping cool, this is called a comb. Since the comb sticks up, it is cooler than the rest of a chicken’s body.
Their beaks are adapted for how they eat. Other birds have differently shaped beaks adapted to how they feed. Chickens lay eggs for us to eat. The eggs she lays, are not fertilized as we don’t have a rooster. (Human females also have eggs.).
Chickens have excellent eyesight (birds have the best eyesight of all vertebrates). Although their eyes are on the side of their head, they can very accurately peck at food. Their beaks are adapted for how they eat. Other birds have differently shaped beaks adapted to how they feed. Chickens lay eggs for us to eat.
Like other birds, their skeletons have adapted to support flight and relatively fast movement. Their bones are honeycombed, providing a light but rigid frame. Their keratin beaks also are much lighter than a bony jaw with teeth. Chickens are flightless birds, although they can manage prolonged and high jumps.
Why are chickens desirable?
They are desirable because they are flightless, docile in temperament and highly productive. Chickens adapt to their environment through artificial selection. This is because they are domestic animals and their human handlers can make decisions about which individuals get reproductive access.
How do chickens keep cool in the winter?
However, chickens have another way of keeping cool, this is called a comb. Since the comb sticks up, it is cooler than the rest of a chicken’s body. In order to cool off, blood goes into a chicken’s comb, and since the comb is cooler than the rest of the body, the blood cools off as well.
Chickens in general are heavily feathered, which provides good insulation against the cold. However, some types of chicken have adapted, often through selective breeding, to live in different climates. Malays and Shamos, for example, that were bred in Asia, may suffer in cold weather.
How do dogs adapt to their environment?
The dogs have an adaptation of sensing motion and light with their eyes. This adaptation helps them hunt at night, detect slight movement, and be keen on the environment.