The answer to heat stress
The importance of animal responses to environmental challenges applies to all species.
However, poultry seems to be particularly sensitive to temperature-associated environmental challenges. It has been suggested that modern poultry genotypes produce more body heat, due to their greater metabolic activity. Birds react to heat stress by releasing stress hormones and panting. Panting dissipates heat by evaporative cooling and leads to blood alkalosis (= higher plasma pH), which results in a lower feed intake.
