The relationships of body temperature to weight gain, feed consumption, and feed utilization in broilers under heat stress. 1998

M A Cooper, and K W Washburn
Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2772, USA.

Commercial broiler males were used to evaluate body temperature response to heat stress and its relationship to gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio. Individual gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio were obtained from 28 to 49 d in a heat stress environment (32 C) and compared to a 21 C environment. Body temperatures were measured at 28, 35, and 42 d, then daily from 43 to 48 d, and correlated with 28 to 49 d gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio. Feather cover was measured at 51 d of age as a percentage of BW. Initial 28-d body temperature was not significantly different between 21 and 32 C. Body temperature was significantly higher in the 32 C environment after 7 d of heat stress and was significantly higher than at 21 C at all points through 21 d of heat stress, with mean differences ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 C. Feather weight as a percentage of BW was significantly greater in the 21 C environment (6.22%) than the 32 C environment (5.03%). Mortality was not affected by the heat stress environment. Correlations between body temperature and gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio were low and nonsignificant for most periods in the 21 C environment. In the 32 C environment, body temperature was significantly correlated with gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio after 7 d of heat stress, with mean correlations of -0.40 for gain, -0.31 for feed consumption, and 0.24 for feed conversion ratio in Replicate 1 and -0.44 for gain, -0.40 for feed consumption, and 0.43 for feed conversion ratio in Replicate 2.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011201 Poultry Diseases Diseases of birds which are raised as a source of meat or eggs for human consumption and are usually found in barnyards, hatcheries, etc. The concept is differentiated from BIRD DISEASES which is for diseases of birds not considered poultry and usually found in zoos, parks, and the wild. Disease, Poultry,Diseases, Poultry,Poultry Disease
D011897 Random Allocation A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects. Randomization,Allocation, Random
D001831 Body Temperature The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal. Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D002645 Chickens Common name for the species Gallus gallus, the domestic fowl, in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. It is descended from the red jungle fowl of SOUTHEAST ASIA. Gallus gallus,Gallus domesticus,Gallus gallus domesticus,Chicken
D004435 Eating The consumption of edible substances. Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D005241 Feathers Flat keratinous structures found on the skin surface of birds. Feathers are made partly of a hollow shaft fringed with barbs. They constitute the plumage. Feather
D006358 Hot Temperature Presence of warmth or heat or a temperature notably higher than an accustomed norm. Heat,Hot Temperatures,Temperature, Hot,Temperatures, Hot
D000375 Aging The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time. Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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