- For the record label, see Duck Down Records
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Duck Down Records is a hip hop Record label, famous as the home of Hip Hop collective Boot Camp Clik. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures Very young birds are clad only in down. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding, pillows and sleeping bags. The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of Heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer A jacket is a type of sleeved hip - or Waist -length garment for the upper body Bedding refers to the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for warmth A pillow is a large Cushion support for the head, usually used while Sleeping in a Bed, or for the body as used on a Couch or A sleeping bag is a protective "bag" for a person to Sleep in essentially a Blanket that can be closed with a zipper or similar means and functions as
Down offers excellent thermal properties, and has good lofting characteristics. This means that the down traps small pockets of air efficiently. The small pockets of air provide the thermal barrier. Down has the added property that it can be packed into a very small space.
For outdoor equipment, down is considered to be the single best insulating material available due to its light weight, compressibility, and heat retention. Down insulation can be quite expensive, so alternatives, known as synthetic insulation, are available. Synthetic insulation types generally cost less and are usually not as lightweight or as compressible as down. However, synthetic insulations work better when wet and are easier to dry, whereas down insulation does not work at all when wet and takes a very long time to dry out. Thus people who expect a significant amount of rain when camping will either bring a down sleeping bag with a water-resistant shell, or a bag with synthetic fill.
Down insulation is rated by fill power, measured as the number of cubic inches displaced by a given ounce of down (in3/oz). Fill power is a measure of the loft or "fluffiness" of a down product that is loosely related to the insulating value of the down Higher fill-power downs will thus insulate better than lower fill-power downs of the same weight. Insulation in most outdoor equipment ranges from about 400 to 900 in3/oz (230-520 cm3/g). Down rated 500-600 in3/oz (290-360 cm3/g) is warm enough and light enough for most conditions, and 800-900 in3/oz (460-520 cm3/g) fill is used for very lightweight and/or very cold-weather gear.
When wet the thermal properties of the down are virtually eliminated, making it a worse insulator than most equally wet synthetic fills. Compressed down is also a very poor insulator, and thus sleeping bags insulated with down require the use of a sleeping pad to provide insulation from warmth that would otherwise be conducted into the ground. In camping, a ground pad, sleeping pad, sleeping mat or roll mat is a simple device often used in conjunction with a Sleeping bag.
Down can be collected in a variety of ways. Birds which provide the feathers may be used for other purposes, for example to provide meat. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Some birds are killed solely for their down, while some birds (particularly some geese) are periodically live-plucked of their breast feathers. Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures Some birds, such as the eider duck, line their nests with down, and such down might be harvested safely after the young leave the nest.
Animal welfare groups consider the collection of down to be a painful procedure and cruel, particularly since birds must undergo down collection repeatedly. Animal welfare refers to the viewpoint that it is morally acceptable for humans to use nonhuman animals for food in animal research, as clothing and in entertainment
The word down comes ultimately from Old Norse dúnn and is unrelated to the fact that down is found closer to the bird's skin than larger feathers.
Recent research suggests dinosaurs may have had primitive, down-like feathers. [1]
See also
Powder down is a special type of Down feathers They occur in a few groups of apparently unrelated birds and thus are probably Evolutionary Homoplasies. PrimaLoft is a patented synthetic Microfiber Thermal insulation material that was developed by the Albany International Corporation for the UnitedDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic