Date of Award

7-1964

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Thane S. Robinson

Second Advisor

Dr. Frank J. Hinds

Third Advisor

Dr. Richard Brewer

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Introduction

In recent years there have been a number of studies that have dealt with body temperature and body weight variations in gallinaceous birds under various field or controlled conditions. Wilson (1948) studied the reactions of pullets to different environmental temperatures. In a laboratory experiment Bajpai (1962) observed that a change in the cloacal temperature of adult Rhode Island Red males was effected by manipulating the photo-period. In a report on the sexual maturation of Coturnix quail Wilson et al. (1962) discussed several aspects of variation in body weight, which resulted from changes in photo-period. Hamilton (1957) studied the weights of bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) under field conditions. A laboratory experiment was employed by Kirkpatrick (1957) to determine the influence of different photo-periods on weight gains in young bobwhites. It appears, however, that no comprehensive studies have been undertaken to determine the effect that a change in photo-period has on the internal temperatures and body weights of bobwhites, when the environmental temperature is maintained constant. This study was initiated in an attempt to partially fill this apparent gap in knowledge.

A concurrent objective was to determine the time lapse between the abrupt initiation of a stimulatory photo-period and the attainment of reproductive condition. Such information appears to be limited to two separate studies on reproduction in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) (McCartney et al., 1961; and Marsden et al., 1962), although a considerable volume of data is available on the reproductive response to incremental increase of photo-period (Warren and Scott, 1936; Robinson, 1963; Burger, 1940; Roberts and Carver, 1941; Benoit, 1950; Padgett and Ivey, 1959; and many others).

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Biology Commons

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