Summary
1. The plumage changes following thyroidectomy were studied in fowls of a number of different breeds.
2. The morphological effects were fairly constant and comprised (a) loss of barbules leading to fringing or even to destruction of the blade of the feather, and (b) elongation of the feather in relation to its width.
3. The changes in the Silver Sebright bantam were mainly dissimilar to those occurring after gonadectomy.
4. The colour changes in the different breeds were quite inconsistent. Thus no pigment response was observed in all-black fowl, whereas the black ventral feathers of the Brown Leghorn changed to brown and those of the Silver Dorking to white. The feathers of the Ancona, on the other hand, lost their white tips and became all black.
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Parkes, A.S., Selye, H. The endocrine system and plumage types. Journ. of Genetics 34, 297–306 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982270
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982270