The Influence of High Environmental Temperature on Immature Domestic Fowl ,

Abstract

ABSTRACT COMPARATIVELY little information has been published to indicate breed differences in growth responses of domestic fowl to high environmental temperatures. It is generally recognized that the growth rate of domestic fowl exhibits seasonal variations and that environmental temperature is an influencing factor in this variation. There is considerable evidence that the growth rate of chickens is retarded during the hot summer months. Heywang (1947) reported that White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red chicks grown in a cooled house during the hot summer months weighed more than those grown in an uncooled house. Kempster (1938) found that high summer temperatures depressed growth and the difference became more pronounced as the age of the birds increased. KheirEldrin and Shaffner (1954) exposed growing birds to extremely high environmental temperatures for short periods of time and depressed the growth rate. They observed that families which had the highest growth rate were best able to . . .