[Cob] Chicken feathers

[howard at earthandstraw.com]

>I don't know what kind of practical considerations there would be with using feathers.  As others mentioned, they might >harbor unwanted critters or pathogens.  They might also be real nasty if they got wet. 


Yes, most things get nasty if they are left wet for long but I would think feathers would be fairly resistant to rot, thinking of our chickens in the rain.  Perhaps some borates etc. like they put in cellulose insulation would help keep them free of crickets.  Wondering too if they should be milled into fluff in the process.  They are certainly nice and lightweight for a roof.   Being experimental perhaps you want to make a test panel, get it wet, monitor it for critters etc. and see how it feels to you.



Howard Switzer, Architect
668 Hurricane Creek Road
Linden, TN 37096
931-589-6513
www.earthandstraw.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Christensen 
  To: lcdycus at yahoo.com ; coblist at deatech.com 
  Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 9:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [Cob] Chicken feathers


  At 5:55 PM -0800 1/1/09, Luanna Dycus wrote:
  >Hi all,
  >
  >I saw something interesting on Bill Nye (green channel).  Someone is 
  >using chicken feathers to make backer boards for computer circuit 
  >boards using soy resin as a binder.  They said that USA produces 2 
  >billion pounds of feathers going to landfills per year.  My thought 
  >was how to use them for insulation.  Any ideas?

  it's been done - as others have mentioned, quilts and pillows have 
  long been made with feathers of various foul.

  For those that remember the (supposed) origins of the band name The 
  Crickets from the movie The Buddy Holly Story, the boys were 
  practicing/recording in the garage or some such outbuilding, which 
  was insulated with chicken feathers.  A cricket was hiding in them 
  and they could hear it on the tapes.  In the movie I think I remember 
  them pulling off the chicken wire which was holding the feathers in 
  place in order to chase the little guy down.

  I don't know what kind of practical considerations there would be 
  with using feathers.  As others mentioned, they might harbor unwanted 
  critters or pathogens.  They might also be real nasty if they got 
  wet.  You'd have to ask elsewhere for answers to those kinds of 
  questions.


  -- 
  Bill Christensen
  <http://greenbuilder.com/contact/>

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