Activity and energy expenditure in laying hens: 2. The energy cost of exercise

Abstract

Summary In capacity studies on adult White Leghorn hens during exercise it was found that the maximum velocity of the bird was 2·4 km/h. Metabolic rate increased linearly with running speed and, between the speeds of 1 and 2 km/h, was 53–65% higher than the metabolic rate at rest. The bird moved faster largely by increasing its stride. The cost of bipedal locomotion for hens, in contrast to men and rhea, is lower than the cost of the quadrupedal locomotion of mammals.