SEVEGNANI, Kelly Botigeli.; SILVA, Sílvia Helena Modenese-Gorla da.; SILVA, Iran José Oliveira da.
Abstract:
High temperatures in tropical countries cause damages to poultry production. Weight
losses and welfare problems occuring, increasing food conversion, until take the bird to the death. The
aim of this work was to study the physiological variations (respiratory frequency, rectal temperature
and weight gain) in broilers (21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days-old) under 4 stress conditions (28 ºC, 60%
RH; 31 ºC, 65%RH; 34 ºC, 70% RH; 37 ºC, 75% RH) in climatic chamber conditions. It was made a
exploratory data analysis and the results had shown the biggest respiratory frequency for older birds
and more severe stress conditions that it was submitted. About the retal temperature, it did not have
significant variation. This fact showed the capacity of adaptation of broilers to high temperatures. In
relation to the weight gain, broilers had not significant variations. These had occurred in older birds,
with bigger corporal weight and in more severe stress conditions.