Abstract
AN INVESTIGATION of seasonal metabolic rhythms in hens showed relatively large variations in individual birds from one semi-monthly, or monthly, period to the next. In order to study the magnitude of these variations during a relatively short period, normal heat production, heart rate, respiratory quotient, body temperature, and body weight of four 2-year-old laying New Hampshire hens were measured frequently during a period of a month. It is of interest to note that Benedict and Ritzman (1935), and Ritzman and Benedict (1938) have called attention to lability in basal metabolism observed in cows, and that Dukes (1937) reported relatively large variability in heat production of hens.The respiratory exchange of the fowls used in this investigation was measured with a multiple-chamber, closed-circuit, respiration apparatus. This apparatus consists of a constant-temperature cabinet housing four independent respiration chambers each connected to an oxygen burette and a rocking battery containing an alkaline solution .
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