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
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L Credit Ass’n.
Hji/ 411 W. Roseville Rd.
Lancaster, Pa.
T Ph. Lane. EX 3-3921
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"400” Milker
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New Holland
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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.
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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) =
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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