The Relationships between Abdominal Temperature and Some Thermoregulatory Responses in Male Broiler Chickens

This study was conducted to determine the relationships between abdominal temperature (Tabd) and some thermoregulatory responses, such as heat production (HP), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), temperature of external ear tract (Tee), comb surface temperature (Tcs) and shank skin temperature (Tss), for revealing the role of deep body temperature in the thermoregulation of broiler chickens. Tabd was divided into 5 zones of 40-41, 41-42, 42-43, 43-44 and $44-45^{\circ}C$, and maintained for 3 hours in each zone by varying environmental temperature from 11 to $33^{\circ}C$. HP and HR had a greater increase with Tabd above $42.5^{\circ}C$. RR increased markedly with Tabd above $41.5^{\circ}C$, and reached a maximum when Tabd was at $42.5^{\circ}C$, then began to decrease. In addition, HP and HR increased significantly with decrease RR during the decreasing phase of panting. Tcs and Tss changed rapidly with Tabd when Tabd was below $41.5^{\circ}C$, and increased more slowly above $41.5^{\circ}C$. Tee was lower than Tabd, and its increase was less than that of Tabd. These results suggest that changes in thermoregulatory responses are induced by an increase in abdominal temperature. Tabd increases to adjust the ratio of sensible and evaporative heat loss when Tabd is below $42.5^{\circ}C$, while the ability in body temperature regulation gradually disappears when abdominal temperature exceeds $42.5^{\circ}C$ and heat balance can not be maintained.