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Evaporative water loss in domestic fowls and its partition in relation to ambient temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

S. A. Richards
S. A. Richards
Affiliation:
Wye College, University of London, Ashford, Kent TN25 5AH
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Summary

The rate of evaporative water loss has been studied in domestic fowls in the ambient temperature range from 0 to 40°C.

Results for whole-body evaporation were similar when obtained by the open-flow and direct-weighing methods. At low levels of absolute humidity the rate increased by 0·03 mg/(g.h.°C) from 0 to 22 °C and by 0·17 mg/(g.h.°C) from 23 to 40 °C. Wholebody evaporation decreased with rising ambient water vapour pressure by 0·7 mg/(g.h.kPa).

Cutaneous water loss was greater than respiratory water loss below 21 °C; it accounted for 78% of whole-body evaporation at 0 °C, falling to 25% at 40 °C.

The rates of respiratory and whole-body evaporation could both be expressed as linear functions of respiratory frequency.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 87 , Issue 3 , December 1976 , pp. 527 - 532
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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