Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T18:11:45.590Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The influence of feathering and environmental temperature on the heat production and efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy by the mature cockerel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

S. J. B. O'Neill
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 6BB and Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland
D. Balnave
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 6BB and Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland
N. Jackson
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 6BB and Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland

Summary

The effect of temperature on the heat production, of temperature-acclimatized feathered and defeathered cockerels was examined at 15, 22, 25, 29, 34 and 38 °C. The maintenance ME requirements and the net availability of ME (NAME) were determined for each temperature.

The fasting heat production of defeathered cockerels measured at 22, 29, 34 and 38 °C, decreased continually with increasing temperature. The feathered cockerels also showed a general decrease in fasting heat production with increasing temperature between 15 and 34 °C, but there were relative increases in fasting heat production between 22 and 29 °C.

The ME requirement for maintenance and the NAME were determined from measurements of heat production at different levels of ME intake. In general, the maintenance ME requirement decreased with increasing temperature for both feathered and defeathered cockerels. The NAME for the defeathered birds varied between 75 and 77% at 29, 34 and 38 °C. There was evidence for the feathered birds of an increasing NAME with increasing temperature, one feathered bird having a NAME of 56% at 15°C, increasing to 81% at 34 °C.

The importance of feathering and environmental temperature on the heat production and the possible effect of feather cover and activity on the NAME are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barott, H. G. & Pringle, E. M. (1946). Energy and gaseous metabolism of the chicken from hatch to maturity as affected by temperature. J. Nutr. 31, 3551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berman, A. & Snapir, N. (1965). The relation of fasting and resting metabolic rates to heat tolerance in the domestic fowl. Br. Poult. Sci. 6, 207–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L. (1962). The Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. London: Hutchinson and Co. Ltd.Google Scholar
Brody, S. (1945). Bioenergetics and Growth. New York: Reinhold.Google Scholar
Brush, A. H. (1965). Energetics, temperature regulation and circulation in resting, active and defeathered California Quail Lophortyx Californicus. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 15, 399421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burlacu, Gh. (1967). The specific dynamic action of amino acids in hens. Proc. 4th Symp. Energy Metab., Warsaw, pp. 149–57. EAAP publ. no. 12.Google Scholar
Burlacu, Gh., Grossu, D., Marinescu, G., Baltac, M. & Grunca, D. (1967). Efficiency of utilization of the energy of starch in birds. Proc. 4th Symp. Energy Metab., Warsaw, pp. 369–75. EAAP publ. no. 12.Google Scholar
Dukes, H. H. (1947). The Physiology of Domestic Animals, 6th ed. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Company Inc.Google Scholar
Freeman, B. M. (1966). Physiological responses of the adult fowl to environmental temperature. Wld Poult. Sci. J. 22, 140–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gelineo, S. (1964). Organ systems in adaptation: the temperature regulating system. In Handbook of Physiology, Section 4. Adaptation to the environment, pp. 250–82. Washington: American Physiological Society.Google Scholar
Herreid, C. F. & Kessel, B. (1967). Thermal conductance in birds and mammals. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 21, 405–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howes, J. R., Grub, W. & Rollo, C. S. (1962). The effects of constant high temperature regimes upon broiler growth, feed efficiency, body composition and carcass quality. Poult. Sci. 41, 1652.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, J. C. D. (1954). Heat regulation in birds. In Progress in the Physiology of Farm Animals, vol. 1. Ed. Hammond, J.London: Butterworths Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, J. C. D. & Sykes, A. H. (1953). Physiological acclimatization of fowls to a hot humid environment. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 43, 294322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, J. R. (1964). Oxygen consumption and body temperature in relation to ambient temperature in the white-crowned sparrow. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 12, 1324CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, J. R. & Farner, D. S. (1961). Energy metabolism, thermoregulation and body temperature. In Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds, vol. 11. Ed. Marshall, A. J.New York and London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Kleiber, M. (1961). The Fire of Life. An introduction to Animal Energetics. New York and London: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Kleiber, M. & Dougherty, J. E. (1934). The influence of environmental temperature on the utilisation of food energy in baby chicks. J. gen. Physiol. 17, 701–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milligan, J. L. & Winn, P. N. (1964). The influence of temperature and humidity on broiler performance in environmental chambers. Poult. Sci. 43, 817–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, H. H. (1962). Comparative Nutrition of Man and Domestic Animals, vol. 1. New York and London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Osbaldiston, G. W. (1966). The energy and nutrient metabolism of individually reared chickens. Br. vet. J. 122, 479–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ota, H. (1967). The physical control of environment for growing and laying birds. Environmental Control in Poultry Production. Ed. Carter, T. C.Br. Egg Mkt. Bd Symp. no. 3.Google Scholar
Payne, C. G. (1967). The influence of environmental temperature on egg production; a review. Environmental Control in Poultry Production. Ed. Carter, T. C.Br. Egg Mkt. Bd. Symp. no. 3.Google Scholar
Porter-Smith, A. J. & Shrimpton, D. H. (1968). The use of an open circuit calorimeter for the determination of the specific dynamic action (SDA) of a diet. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 27, 59A60A.Google Scholar
Prince, R. P., Whitaker, J. H., Matterson, L. D. & Lgin, Buhl R. E. (1965). Response of chickens to temperature and relative humidity environments. Poult. Sci. 44, 73–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Romijn, C. (1950). Overdrute vit het ty-schrift voor dier genees kunde deel 75 January, 1950. ‘Sto pwisseling-sonderzoctic bij de kip proeven met N.H.B.’Google Scholar
Romijn, C. & Lokhorst, W. (1961). Climate and poultry. Heat regulation in the fowl. Tijdschr. Diergeneesk. 86, 153–72.Google Scholar
Romijn, C. & Vreugdenhil, E. L. (1969). Energiebalans en warmteregulatie bij de witte leghorn. Tijdschr. Diergeneesk. 94, 427–53.Google Scholar
Romoser, G. L. & Helbacka, N. V. (1958). Maryland research—practical studies with broiler chickens and turkey fryers involving C/P, temperature, minerals, hormones and flavours. Proc. Univ. Md Nutr. Conf. Feed Mfrs, pp. 5563.Google Scholar
Scholander, P. F., Walters, V., Hook, R. & Irving, L. (1950). Body insulation of some arctic and tropical mammals and birds. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole, 99, 225–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shannon, D. W. F. & Brown, W. O. (1969 a). Calorimetric studies on the effect of dietary energy source and environmental temperature on the metabolic efficiency of energy utilization by mature Light Sussex cockerels. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72, 479–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shannon, D. W. F. & Brown, W. O. (1969 b). The period of adaptation of the fasting metabolic rate of the common fowl to an increase in environmental temperature from 22 °C to 28 °C. Br. Poult. Sci. 10, 1318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shannon, D. W. F., Waring, J. J. & Brown, W. O. (1967). Observations on the effect of feeding level and type of diet on the respiratory quotient of chickens, with a note on the utilization of the energy of glucose, lactose, fructose and xylose. Proc. 4th Symp. Energy Metab., Warsaw, pp. 349–58. EAAP publ. no. 12.Google Scholar
Sqtjance, E. (1965). A study of protein digestion and metabolism in the laying hen in relation to the utilization of dietary protein for egg production. Ph.D. Thesis, Queen's University, Belfast.Google Scholar
Sturkie, P. D. (1965). Avian Physiology. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Associates.Google Scholar
Tasaki, I. & Sakurai, H. (1969). Studies on the energy metabolism in the fowl. Memoirs of the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Nagoya University, no. 4.Google Scholar
van Kampen, M. & Romijn, C. (1970). Energy balance and heat regulation in the White Leghorn fowl. Proc. 5th Symp. Energy Metab., Vitznau, pp. 213–16. EAAP publ. no. 13.Google Scholar
Waring, J. J. (1965). Respiration calorimetry and other techniques applied to the study of energy utilisation by the laying hen. Ph.D. Thesis, Queen's University, Belfast.Google Scholar
Waking, J. J. & Brown, W. O. (1965). A respiration chamber for the study of energy utilization for maintenance and production in the laying hen. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 65, 139–46.Google Scholar
Waring, J. J. & Brown, W. O. (1967). Calorimetric studies on the utilization of dietary energy by the laying White Leghorn hen in relation to plane of nutrition and environmental temperature. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68, 149–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, W. O., Hillerman, J. P. & Edwards, W. H. (1952). The relation of high environmental temperature to feather and skin temperatures of laying pullets. Poult. Sci. 31, 843–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar