Gas exchange, blood gases and acid-base status in the chick before, during and after hatching.

To study the transition from chorioallantoic to pulmonary gas exchange in birds, blood gases and acid--base variables were measured in chicks of domestic fowl before, during and after hatching. Measurements were made in samples of 'venous' blood (from allantoic arteries or the right ventricle, respectively) entering the gas exchanger (chorioallantois or lungs, respectively) and arterialized blood (from allantoic veins or the left ventricle, respectively) leaving the gas exchanger. Also, O2 uptake was measured and blood flow of the gas exchanger was determined according to the Fick principle. During the last days of incubation PO2 decreased PCO2 increased in both arterialized and 'venous' blood, but the changes of pH were small due to a concomitant increase in bicarbonate concentration, in accordance with the results of previous studies. After external pipping and hatching pronounced hypocapnia developed, but the respiratory alkalosis was partiallY compensated by a transitory non-respiratory reduction of bicarbonate. In spite of arterial hypoxia at the end of incubation and some loss of blood during hatching, blood O2 transport was not seriously impaired during pipping and hatching as revealed by 'venous' blood gases. The blood gases and pH of 17-day-old chicks were close to those of adult chickens.