Abstract
Birds show a wide range in their degree of functional maturity at hatching (see also Section 8.1). Some species, the duck for instance, are relatively mature, in that they have sight, are able to feed themselves and generally show a marked degree of independence. Others, the passerines for instance, are distinctly immature being blind and naked and totally dependent upon the parent birds for their survival. But whether the hatchling is mature or immature all neonates are confronted by the same hostile environment. In this chapter we shall discuss three of the many problems: changing environmental temperature, digestion and absorption of food and the problem of bacterial and viral diseases.
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© 1974 B. M. Freeman and Margaret A. Vince
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Freeman, B.M., Vince, M.A. (1974). The Neonate. In: Development of the Avian Embryo. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5710-7_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5710-7_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-5712-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-5710-7
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