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Metabolic Changes in Growing Chickens¹

Department of Dairy Husbandry, University of Missouri, Columbia

Data are reported on oxygen consumption in relation to body weight, age, and surface area of Rhode Island Red chickens from hatching to 6 months of age in males and to 13 months of age in females.

Attention is directed to an apparent parallelism during the first 2 months after hatching, between metabolism per day, expressed in Calories per square meter, and growth per day, expressed in grams per square meter. The resting but non-fasting heat production at thermoneutrality increased during this critical period from about 750 Cal. at hatching to a maximum of 1,250 to 1,300 Cal. at about 30 days, and thereafter decreased to 900 Cal. at 60 days. Daily growth rate per square meter similarly increased to a maximum of approximately 370 gm. at about 25 days, and thereafter decreased.

After 2 months of age, the non-fasting heat production in the females averaged about 900 Cal. as compared to 750 Cal. after 24-hour fasts. Higher values were obtained for the males.

Manuscript received 6 March 1944.