Avian Bioclimate Chambers for Research—with a Note on Panting Thresholds in Adult Leghorn Hens

Abstract

THERE are certain problems more suitable for controlled bioclimate than field research which may be listed as follows:biological rhythms, acclimatization, thermoregulation, respiratory studies, neuro-vascular studies, feather formation and dermatology, efficiency of production under various environmental conditions, physiological changes with seasonal patterns of environment, water exchange, behavioral studies concerned with thermoregulation, interactions of environmental variables.While some excellent field research has been done on the effect of the biometeorological factors of production in poultry, there are certain limitations to this type of research. For example, it is apparent that there are no two successive days in nature that are exactly alike. Furthermore, the meteorological conditions vary with the poultry house so that research done at a particular location cannot easily be repeated in another location with meaningful results. Some of these pitfalls may be avoided by the use of the bioclimate chamber, although it must be admitted that there are some…