14—Lancaster Farming, Friday, August 15, 1958 Chicks with Large Thyroids Stand Heat Better, Beltsville Test Shows Chicks with large thyroids re s' sted high temperatures better tuan those with small thyroids in fcur recent USDA tests at the Agricultural Research Center, Leltsville, Md New Hampshire chicks especially bred for large thyroids didn’t lose as much weight or die in such large num bers. This suggests that the thy ioid is involved in protecting cracks against high temperatures The relationship between low environmental temperature and increased thyroid activity has long been known. But the exact role of the thyroid gland at all tem peratures hasn’t been clear. Tests by ARS poultry physiolo gist M. H Conner, nutritionist Henry Menge, and agricultural e igineer Hajime Ota were run to provide more information on thy roids of chicks exposed to tem peratures above 95*F. Response of adrenal glands was observed Body temperature and blood plas ma pH changes were recorded in c.ie test. THE BASIC STUDY is contri bating much to understanding how endocrine glands of chickens function under extreme environ mental conditions. Test chicks of both sexes were from two genetic lines of New Hampshires especially bred for difference in thyroid size All crocks were exposed to constant (24 hours a day) high tempera tures in a poultry' calorimeter Temperature, humidity, and rate of airflow were controlled. Birds were kept on litter. In all tests but one, chicks were put in the calorimeter at hatching time and Lept at the desired temperature for four weeks Incoming airflow was gradually j icreased in each test to allow for increase in respiratory and metabolic actml> as chicks grew elder Birds were given 14 hours cx light daily. Chicks with small thyroids didn’t do as well during tests as FOR ANY FARM PURPOSE MADE THE FARMER'S WAY Lancaster PjV Production L Credit Ass’n. Hji/ 411 W. Roseville Rd. Lancaster, Pa. T Ph. Lane. EX 3-3921 KIND TO THE COWS! () "400” Milker (.eaves teats and udders in hand-milked condition. Saves labor, time, money. ... Let us prove it! Conde finest in pipe line Milkers SNAVELY'S FARM SERVICE New Holland Ph. EL 4-2214 chicks with large thyroids For instance, small-thyroid chicks weighed less after exposure to constant 95* F. than large thyroid chicks. In another test where birds were exposed to constant 100°F., the small-thyroid birds had a higher mortality rate (33 per cent more) than large-thyroid birds. Surviving small-thyroid chicks had smaller body and thy roid weights and significant ad renal enlargement. There was no change in adrenal weight ofsur viving large-thyroid chicks. SMALL-THYROID BIRDS also suffered much greater mortality when exposed to an initial high temperature of 105*F-, which was gradually lowered to 100*F. How ever, the High temperatures re duced body growth and thyroid size of even the large-thyroid birds. Some of the small-thyroid birds died when exposed to a graually .increasing temperature range of 75 c to 95 *F. Deaths occurred at the higher temperatures. Body and thyroid weight of surviving birds were lower, and body tem perature went up. Blood-plasma pH values were not changed. High temperatures depressed the development of the thyroid gland in both gentic lines. But the thyroid-size difference be tween genetic lines wasn’t chang ed Thus, thyroid activity appears important in protecting chicks against high temperature. ASSAYS OF THYROID activity were performed on untreated chicks Those with large thyroids were found to secrete more thy roxine than those with small thy roids. Tests don’t show if increas ed activity is proportional to the CLOSING OCT! FARM MACHINERY & PARTS 20% Discount on Parts and Big Reductions on Farm Machinery WATCH OUR CLASSIFIED ADS FOR BIG SPECIALS ON FARM MACHINERY J. IL NEUHAUSER & SON BIRD-IN-HAND Phone: Lancaster Exchange Our successor will continue the hardware line after taking over the stock. 'jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiimiu KAUFFMAN’S PEACHES | A Bountiful Crop 1 of Large Luscious = White and Yellow = Freestone For = Canning or Eat- = ing 1 OPEN EVENINGS A. L. Kauffman & Sons 1 BIRD-IN-HAND, PA. i (Midway Between Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse on Rt. 340) = !!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiK greater size of the glands or if it’s a result of greater activity per unit of thyroid tissue. However, traced studies with radioactive iodine indicate the increased ac tivity is a function of the thyroid mass. The extent to which any gland is involved in response to any stress apparently depends upon the condition to which animals aie exposed, and how other glands are involved. For instance, high temperatures affected the size of the adrenal gland in only one test when birds were exposed to constant 100'F. But it is known from tests elsewhere on unselected chicks that the adrenals enlarge con sistently when the birds are forc ed to exercise to exhaustion- The thyroid gland may be more im portant than the adrenal gland in helping chicks resist death from too much heat. The adrenal gland, however, is more important in other cases Studies are planned to clear up the role of the endocrine organs ui chickens subjected to extremes of humidity and certain air im purities Fink Is Vo-Ag Chief Assistant to be Derr James E. Fink, vocational agri culture adviser for Beaver, Lawr ence and Butler counties was nam ed director of vocational agncul ture for the State Department of Public Instruction on August 1. He succeeds H. C. Fetterolf who retired to his Columbia County farm last year after serving in the department for 49 years.- Fink, who lives at Newcastle. RD taught vocational agriculture in Indiana county before taking over the supervisory post more than 10 years ago. George Derr, who has been act ing chief since Fetterolf’s retire ment, wil become assistant in the department. Ph. Intercourse SO 8-3631 = Fertilizer Value Not Dependent on Solubility Whether or not a mixed fer tilizer dissolved in water has lit tle if any effect on crops. To test the value of water solu ble plant foods, experimental plots have been treated with mixed fertilizers of varying ability to dissolve in water and seeded to barley. - Despite considerable discus sion on the subject of water sol uble fertilizers, the important thing is that plants get the need ed nutrients whether or not they dissolve in water. New mnmm uo —Most Powerful Newest in its class and already the most spectacular performer of all! In official, nationally recognized tests this new Oliver 880 broke drawbar-pull records to be come the most powerful row crop tractor built today in both fuel types— gasoline and diesel. So, no matter which you pick, you get a champion— 86.29 and 54.97 drawbar horsepower...799B and 8118 pounds of drawbar pull. That isn’t all you get in the new 4-5 plow 880 and its row crop companion, the 3-4 plow 770. You have a choice of new power helps to make fanning faster, easier and more profitable. One is Power-Booster Drive, which gives you almost one-third more pull for tough spots and 12 forward speeds. Another is Power-Traction Hitch, which transfers more weight to the rear wheels. Still others include Powerjuster wheels and full-time power steering. See thejnany extra advantages. See for yourself how much more you get in a new Oliver. N. G. Hersliey & Son IVlanheim, RD. 1 J. Chas. Farmersville Equipment Co. Check Cleanliness Of Milk Equipment Salt is used in a simple test to determine the cleanliness of stainless steel milking equipment, says Chester County Agent Robert A. Powers, Jr. The test consists of first wet ting the stainless steel surface and then sprinkling common or dinary table salt on the wettened surface. If the salt remains where it was put and does not run off or dissolve, the equip ment is clean. If the salt dis solves, runs out in solution, the equipment is not clean. J. B. Lapp Atglen, McComsey Hickory Hill, Pa. Ephrata, RD. 2 & Sons
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers