Domestic Ducks and Geese
Domestic varieties of Muscovy Duck (top) and Mallard (bottom)
These are just two examples of the wide range of different breeds and hybrids of these domesticated species.
Domestic varieties of Muscovy Duck (top) and Mallard (bottom)
These are just two examples of the wide range of different breeds and hybrids of these domesticated species.
■ For more than a thousand years, from the 600s to the 1800s, feathers were the ultimate writing implements. The tubular structure of a feather shaft, and its combination of stiffness and flexibility, worked perfectly for a pen. Simply cutting diagonally across the shaft of the feather creates a delicate pointed tip with a hollow tube to hold ink, while trimming the barbs from the sides of the feather allows room for a comfortable grip. The large wing feathers of birds such as geese and crows were the right size, and readily available, especially where geese were raised for food. In fact, Saint Petersburg, Russia, exported 27 million goose quills annually in the early 1800s. Artists still use delicate “crow quill pens,” though they are no longer made from bird quills. The modern word “pen” comes from the Latin word penna, for “feather,” and a “pen knife” was a small folding knife carried in a pocket and used to make and maintain feather pens.
The large wing feathers of a Graylag Goose, trimmed to form a pen
■ Along with using wing feathers for pens, humans have found uses for two other types of feathers on geese. Body feathers are used to stuff pillows and other feather products, while the fluffy down found close to the body is the most efficient insulation known and is sought after for many specialized products such as jackets and sleeping bags. No other material, natural or synthetic, matches down’s combination of highly effective insulating properties and light weight. One disadvantage for human use is that down loses much of its insulating ability when it gets wet. Birds manage this problem by investing a lot of time and effort in feather maintenance to make sure their down stays dry.
Body feather
Down feather
■ In past centuries geese were among the most important domesticated birds. The Graylag Goose of Europe was raised for meat and eggs and also provided feathers for down and pens. They can even provide security, as their vigilance and loud calls make them functional “watchdogs.”
A domestic Graylag Goose